The Graveyard
by bitchinblackframedglasses
Summary: A secret that has been kept from Harry for 16 years has deep consequenses. His sister was kidnapped by Voldemort when she was 2, and when they meet in The Graveyard in the Goblet of Fire, how can they possibly reunite? Dark Plot: Don't like, don't read. *Marysue
1. Chapter 1

-The Graveyard, Chapter One-

_Adapted from Chapter 32 of the Goblet of Fire_

**This story is based off of the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. I own nothing. Other rights apply.**

_This story starts after Harry and Cedric took the cup together. They are in the graveyard._

HARRY POV

I felt my feet slam into the ground; my injured leg giving way. I fell forward, and I gratefully let go of the Triwizard Cup. Slowly, I raised my head.

'Where are we?" I asked Cedric. He shook his head, got up, and pulled me upright. We both cautiously looked around.

We had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; having obviously traveled miles-perhaps hundreds of miles-for even the mountains surrounding the caste were gone. Instead, we were in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to our right. A hill rose above us to the left. If I squinted, I could just make out the outline of a fine old house on that hill.

Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then back to me. 'Did anyone tell _you_ that the cup was a Portkey?" He asked. "Nope," I said, looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?" I wondered out loud.

"I dunno," said Cedric. He sounded slightly nervous. "Wands out, d'you reckon?" "Yeah…" I said after a minute, glad that Cedric had made the suggestion instead of me.

We pulled out our wands. I constantly looked around me; I had the strange feeling we were being watched. "Someone's coming." I said suddenly.

Squinting tensely through the darkness, we watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward us between the graves. I couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, I could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And-several paces nearer, the gap between us closing all the time-I saw that the thing in the person's arms looked like a baby…or was it merely a bundle of robes?

I lowered my wand slightly and glanced at Cedric, who shot me a quizzical look. A sound that sounded like chains made us both turn our heads to watch the approaching figure. It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second, we only looked at the figure, and he looked back.

And then, without warning, my scar exploded with pain. It was more pain than I have ever felt in my life; my wand slipped from my fingers as I put my hands over my face; my knees buckled; I was on the ground and I could see nothing at all; my head was about to split open. I felt Cedric shift beside me to glance my way.

From far away, somewhere above my head, I heard a high, cold voice say, '_Kill the spare."_ A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: "_Avada Kedavra!"_

A blast of green light blazed through my eyelids, and just before I heard something heavy fall beside me, I heard the chains again, grating. The pain in my scar reached such a pitch that I leaned over and retched. It diminished then, and terrified of what I might see, I opened my stinging eyes.

Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside me. He was dead. For a second that contained eternity, I stared at him, the chains clinking in my ears. His open grey eyes, blank and expressionless like the windows of the abandoned house; at his half-opened mouth, which looked slightly surprised.

Before I could accept what I was seeing, before I could feel anything but numb disbelief, I felt hands pulling me roughly to my feet. The short man had put down the bundle, lit his wand, and was dragging me toward the marble headstone. I got a fleeting glance of the name before I was forced around and slammed against it.

**TOM RIDDLE**

The cloaked man was quickly conjuring tight cords around me, tying me from neck to ankles to the headstone. I could hear his shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood; and I immediately began to struggle.

The man hit me square in the jaw, with a hand that had a finger missing. I realized who it was under the hood. It was Wormtail. "You!" I gasped, trying to think. But Wormtail, who had finished binding me to the headstone, did not reply; he was busy checking the tightness of the cords, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, fumbling over the knots.

Once he was sure that I couldn't move an inch, he drew a length of black material from inside his cloak and stuffed it roughly into my mouth; then, without another word, he turned from me and hurried away.

I couldn't make a sound, no matter how hard I tried, nor could I see were Wormtail had gone; I couldn't turn my head to see beyond the headstone; I could only see what was directly in front of me.

Cedric's body was lying some twenty feet away. Some way beyond him, glittering in the starlight, lay the Triwizard Cup. My wand was at Cedric's feet. I tried to snap my head to the left, but to no avail when I heard a ringing slap echo into the night, and the chains again.

The bundle of robes that I thought was a baby was close by, at the foot of the grave. It seemed to be stirring fretfully; and as I watched it, my scar seared with pain once more. I suddenly knew that I didn't want to see what was in those robes…I didn't want that bundle opened.

Despite the chains, I heard noises at my feet. Looking down, I saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where I was tied. Wormtail's fast, wheezy breathing reached my ears after another slap echoed into the night. It sounded like he was forcing something heavy across the ground. He came back into my range of vision, and I saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave.

It was full of a liquid; I could hear it sloshing around. The cauldron was larger than any I had ever seen, or used; a great stone belly large enough for a full grown man to sit in. The thing in the bundle of robes began to stir more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself as the sound of chains got louder.

Now Wormtail was busing himself at the bottom of the cauldron, with a wand. Suddenly there was crackling flames beneath it. The large snake slithered away in the darkness, and I faintly heard it in the direction of the chains.

The liquid in the cauldron heated fast, the surface bubbled and sent out fiery sparks. Steam was thickening, almost obscuring Wormtail as the bundle of robes became more agitated. I heard the high, cold voice again: _"Hurry!"_

The surface of the water was alight with sparks now, which looked like diamonds as Wormtail said: "It is ready Master." _'Now…"_ said the cold voice. As Wormtail pulled open the robes, I couldn't help but yell that was strangled by the wad of material blocking my mouth.

The thing was the shape of a human child, but it looked anything less than a child. It was hairless and scary looking, a dark, raw reddish black. Its face was flat and snakelike; no child ever alive could have a face like that. Its red eyes gleamed. Wormtail carried it over to the cauldron and dropped it in. I heard its body hit the bottom with a soft thud.

_Let it drown, _I thought, my scar burning almost past endurance, _please…let it drown…_ Wormtail was speaking. _"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"_ The surface of the grave by my feet cracked, and horrified, I watched a fine trickle of dust float over to the cauldron and drop inside. The water turned blue.

"_Flesh-of the servant-w-willingly given-you will-revive-your master." _Wormtail's voice was coming in petrified sobs. He had a silver dagger in his left hand, and he swung it upwards, over his left. I only realized what he was doing the second before he did it. I closed my eyes, but could not block the scream that pierced the night.

I didn't realize Wormtail was in front of me until I felt his anguished breath on my face as he gasped with agony. _"B-blood of the enemy…forcibly taken…you will…resurrect your foe."_ I could do nothing to prevent it, I was tied to tightly. I squinted down, struggling hopelessly at the ropes binding me as the silver dagger shook in Wormtail's hand as he advanced.

I felt it penetrate the crook of my right arm and blood seeping down the front of my robes. Wormtail caught some of it in a glass vial and poured it inside. It turned a blinding white, sending diamond sparks in all directions.

The chains rattling in my ears, I watched mist surge up from the cauldron, and with it, the dark outline of a man. Icy terror filled me as the high, cold voice commanded, "Robe me."

Wormtail managed to do this one handed, and scrambled away as the man crawled out. The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at me. I stared at the face that has haunted me for three years. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils…

Lord Voldemort had risen again.


	2. Chapter 2

-The Graveyard, Chapter Two-

_Adapted from the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33_

HARRY POV

Voldemort looked away from me, and quickly examined his whole body. Then he reached into a pocket and pulled out a wand and pointed it at Wormtail, who was lifted off the ground and thrown against the headstone. With a loud screech, the chains quieted.

His head tilted that way for a second, smirked, then turned back to Wormtail; he had wrapped the stump of his arm into his robes, which were shining with blood. "My Lord…" he choked, "my Lord…you promised… you did promise…"

"Hold out your arm." Voldemort said lazily. Wormtail breathed his thanks and held out the stump, causing Voldemort to laugh. "The other arm, Wormtail." Wormtail started begging. Hearing the straining chains start up again, Voldemort reached down, pulled out Wormtail's left arm and forced the sleeve back to his elbow. The Dark Mark glared out.

Voldemort examined it, and he said softly, "they will all have noticed it…and now, we shall see…now we shall know…" he pressed a long, white finger to the brand. My scar seared with pain as Wormtail howled. Voldemort ignored him and stood up, looking around the graveyard. "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" He whispered, scanning the area where the chain noise was coming from. He smirked again. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"

He paced the graves then, and relived his family history to me with vengeance. Suddenly, the air was full of swishing cloaks. In every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All were hooded and masked, and all fell to their knees, crawled forward, and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. He began to goad them. Finally, one man, trembling from head to foot flung himself forward to collapse at Voldemort's feet. "Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!" Voldemort began to laugh, and raised his wand. "_Crucio!"_

The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked, cutting out the sound of the chains completely. I thought for sure the sound would carry to the houses around…_Let the police come,_ I thought desperately…_anyone…anything… _Voldemort raised his wand, and the tortured Death Eater lay flat on upon the ground, shivering and gasping. 'Get up, Avery," said Voldemort softly. Time passed ridiculously fast as Voldemort rewarded Wormtail, who hurried away after that. I started as each name was called of the Death Eaters, Voldemort listing out loud where they were, and if they deserved to die, until he came to me, said my name.A moment of only the chains grating desperately was broken by Lucius Malfoy, wanting to know how he had done it, come back. He came lazily over to me, and I felt the eyes of the whole circle upon us. The snake came back and continued to circle.

His eyes fixed on my face and my scar began to burn so badly I almost screamed in agony. The pain blocked out some of his words until one of his long, white fingers was very close to my face. As he pressed it to my cheek, my head felt like it would burst with pain. A loud crack pierced the night, but Voldemort ignored it, laughed in my ear, and turned back to the Death Eaters, and began to tell his story, of how he came back to power. As he finished again with me, he turned slowly to me, his face lifting in a grin, wand raised. Suddenly, a small dark shape barreled through the Death Eaters and _tackled _Voldemort_._ It went to kick him in the ribs, but Death Eaters ran forward and grabbed what I realized was a person. After a moment of fierce punching, kicking, and fighting, the Death Eaters teamed up and contained the person. Their hood fell away.

A girl about my age struggled against the Death Eaters as the forced her hands behind her back, and Voldemort stood up and turned to face her. I thought for sure she was going to die, right now. But her face was hauntingly familiar…where had I seen it before?

Her face was littered with bruises and her frame was swallowed up by the old dark robes she was wearing, which I recognized as Death Eater robes. She jerked in their grasp, keeping her eyes fixed on Voldemort. Voldemort's back blocked me from view then.

"Aah, I was wondering when you would make…your entrance." He said softly, dangerously, and leaned close to her and down to face her eye to eye. She remained glared at him, her hazel eyes burning. He laughed and back-handed her so hard, he almost broke the Death Eaters grip. I winced at the sound of his knuckles connecting with her face. I realized the slapping noises from earlier was Wormtail slapping her, and the chains clanging must have been her escaping…but who was she? Voldemort seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "I believe introductions are in order…" He introduced her to all the Death Eaters. "But you remember some of them, don't you? Like…Avery." He nodded to the Death Eater holding her forearm. She froze, real fear filling her face. He threw back his head and laughed.

"Oh, and meet my most distinguished guest….Harry Potter." Her face went white and flashed to mine. There was something familiar about her eyes, which were a hazel and almond shaped. Where had I seen them before? They seemed to light up her face, which was surprisingly beautiful. I knew I had seen it somewhere… "But you already heard me talking to him, didn't you? Is that why Wormtail isn't with you?" He said softly, and then jerked his head at a Death Eater. He vanished, to reappear a second later. 'He…he's dead Master." He said.

Voldemort pulled back from her like she was a poisonous plant, scrutinizing her face. "Well, well…I didn't know you had it in you…" he laughed softly. She fought the Death Eater's grip. He turned back to me. "You won't remember her…Dumbledore would have made sure of it…Harry…meet, your sister." His words hung in the air, and realization hit me like a wrecking ball. She looked just like Mum, but had Dad's eyes. I wanted badly to deny it, but I could tell it was true. Questions raced through my mind. Why was she with Voldemort? Why did Dumbledore know and I didn't?

"You have him quite tongue tied, Cecily." He said to her, an evil smile stretching across his face. She frowned, searching my face. Worry and exhaustion lined every inch of her bruised one. It wouldn't make sense if she was there of her own free will with a face like that. It screamed abuse, which only made me angry. "Let me tell you the story of my dear Cecily." Voldemort said, and put an arm around her. The Death Eaters holding her vanished. In seconds, she had punched him in the face, in the stomach, and then Death Eaters' were holding her back. I was flabbergasted. How could she still be alive, if she acted like that? She must be invaluable to him…but why? Voldemort brushed himself off, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Cecily, be on your best behavior… now…let me tell your story…"

"When your dear sister was just a baby, your dear godfather, Sirius Black, took her to Diagon Alley for your foolish parents…who were in hiding. One of my agents took her away to Knockturn Alley, and took her to Borgin and Brukes. There, she was chosen, had a gift…bestowed upon her." She looked murderous now, glaring at Voldemort with increasing intensity, her frame starting so shake in anger. "It was the Ring of Macabre." As he said that, I had a flashback to getting ready for the third task.

"_Honestly Harry, this is really interesting, this ring. It says it's a fable, but proof does exist-" Hermione was interrupted by Ron snatching her book. _

"_A ring that brings people back to life? And can tell if someone has killed or has the intent to? Has other 'magical' properties?" Ron snorted, and tossed the book back._

"_I don't see how that would help me Hermione." I said._

'Aah, you have heard of it." Voldemort's voice snapped me back into reality. He had one of Cecily's hands tight in his grip, on her wrist, keeping her fingers skyward. A dainty ring flashed on her pointer finger. He laughed. "The Ring of Macabre. The Ring of Death." He said, and she jerked her hand free, only to have it snatched by Avery, making her flinch. Voldemort continued. "I came to the house, threatened your _foolish_ parents with her life. They weren't willing to lose you, and her, so I killed them. But NOT you." His face was angry now. He raised his wand. _"Crucio!" _ He roared. Then, pain, beyond anything I have felt in my life; my bones were on fire; my head splitting open along my scar; my eyes rolling in my head. _Let it end…_

I heard a voice crying "Harry, Harry!" it was the same voice from my first year, fighting Quirrel and Voldemort for the stone. And then it was over. I hung limply in the ropes biding me to the headstone, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist.

The night was ringing with the Death Eaters laughter, and Cecily saying something, over and over, in a quiet cry, fighting against the hands holding her back. Her eyes burned into mine.

'Voldemort." She addressed him directly and he turned, grinning.

"Yes my darling?" He chuckled. Her face turned livid, her eyes furious and sad at the same time.

"I'll kill you for that. I won't stand by and watch my brother die." She promised, her eyes burning like lasers. He laughed at her, and motioned for the Death Eaters to move her to the edge of the circle. She kicked and bucked the whole way there, struggling madly, so madly, that other Death Eaters had to help control her.

I understood the look in her eyes. She could feel that Voldemort meant to kill us both. His voice broke through our gaze. "Now untie him, Avery, and give him back his wand."


	3. Chapter 3

-The Graveyard, Chapter Three-

_Adapted from the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 34_

HARRY POV

Avery approached me then, and I quickly found my feet to support my weight before the ropes were untied. Avery flicked open a very long pocket knife and I shivered. He swiftly pulled out the black material, and then cut the ropes with one swipe. For a split second, I considered running, but my shaking injured leg and the fact that the Death Eaters had closed all gaps in the circle changed my mind. And I couldn't leave Cecily. Avery returned, and threw my wand at me, smirking.

Voldemort gave some sort of signal to the Death Eaters, because one shoved me out of the way, and some of the others moved Cecily over, and conjured thick leather straps, tying her down, which proved quite the task. Apparently, ropes wouldn't have been enough, if she could break through chains. After several rough minutes, they finally tied her down, thick straps across her throat and torso, forcing her to hold perfectly still. A scratch on her face was starting to ooze blood. 'You have been taught to duel, Harry Potter?" said Voldemort, gaining my attention. I heard Cecily stiffen behind me. Suddenly, as if from a former life, I remembered the dueling club at Hogwarts from two years ago. However, I had only learned the Disarming Spell, and even if I succeeded, I was surrounded by Death Eaters.

I knew I was facing the thing Moody always warned me about, the unblock able _Avada Kedavra…_and Voldemort was right, there was no one to die for me this time…I was quite unprotected… 'We bow to each other, Harry," said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his face upturned to me. "Come, the niceties must be observed…Dumbledore would like you to show manners…Bow to death, Harry…" The Death Eaters were laughing again, and I could hear Cecily putting up a mad fight behind me. But I did not bow. I was not going to let Voldemort play with me before killing me; I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction… "I said, _bow,"_ Voldemort said, raising his wand-and I felt my spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand was bending me ruthlessly forward, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever. "Very good," said Voldemort softly, and raised his wand the pressure bearing down upon me lifted too. "And now you face me, like a man…straight-backed and proud, the way your father died…"

"You filthy-" Cecily started shouting. Voldemort raised his wand, "_Avada Kedavra!"_ he shouted, his face filled with triumph, blocking out her voice. I whirled in shock, expecting the worst, but Cecily looked the same. She glared fiercely at him. "You knew it wouldn't work, it never does." She spat. I didn't understand. How could she be alive?

He nodded to a Death Eater, and he walked over and smashed her head against the headstone, once, twice-three times. As he walked away, she did not raise her head again. Rage filled me, pouring out all over. "And now-we duel." Said Voldemort, and before I could turn, I was hit again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that I no longer knew were I was, I was screaming louder than I ever have in my life- And then it stopped. I rolled over and scrambled to my feet, staggering into the wall of Death Eaters, shaking. They pushed me away, back to Voldemort. "A little break," said Voldemort, the slit like nostrils dilating with excitement, "a little pause…That hurt, didn't it Harry? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"

I remained mute. I was going to die like Cedric, his eyes were telling me that. I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do about it…But I wasn't not going to play along. I wasn't going to obey, I wasn't going to beg. "I asked you whether or not you want me to do it again," said Voldemort softly. "Answer me! _Imperio!"_

And I felt, for the third time in my life, the sensation that my mind had been wiped of all thought… it was bliss, not to think, it was as though I was floating, dreaming…_just answer no…say no…just answer no…_

I will not, said a stronger voice, in the back of my head, I won't answer…_Just answer no…_I won't do it, I won't say it…._just answer no…_

"I WON'T!" The words burst from my mouth; they echoed around through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted, and suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over me-back rushed the aches that the Cruciatus Curse had left all over my body-back rushed the realization of where I was, and what I was facing… "You won't?" Voldemort said quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. "You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die…Perhaps another little dose of pain?" Voldemort raised his wand, but this time I was ready; with my reflexes born of my Quidditch training, I flung myself sideways onto the ground; I rolled behind the marble headstone were Cecily was tied. I heard it crack where it missed me.

"We are not playing hide and seek, Harry," said Voldemort soft, cold voice, drawing nearer, as the Death Eaters laughed. I heard him hit Cecily, and that anger returned.

"You cannot hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our little duel? Does this mean that you would prefer me to finish it now, Harry? Come out, Harry…come out and play, then…it will be quick…it might even be painless…I would not know…I have never died…"

I crouched behind the headstone and knew that the end had come. There was no hope…no hope to be had. Cecily was unconscious, Dumbledore was not here. As I heard Voldemort draw nearer still, I knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: I was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide and seek; I was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort's feet…I was going to die upright like my father, and I was going to die trying to defend myself, even if no defense was possible…

Before Voldemort could stick his snakelike face around the headstone, I stood up….I gripped my wand tightly in my hand, thrust it out in front of me, and threw myself around the headstone, facing Voldemort. Voldemort was ready. As I shouted, "_Expelliarmus!_" Voldemort cried, "_Avada Kedavra!"_

A jet of green light issued from Voldemort's wand just as a jet of re light blasted from mine-they met in midair- and suddenly my wand was vibrating as though an electric charge was surging through it; my hand seized up around it; I couldn't have released it if I wanted to- and a narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold. I followed the beam of light with my astonished gaze, and I saw that Voldemort's long white fingers too were gripping a wand that was shaking and vibrating. And then- nothing could have prepared me for this-my feet left the ground. Voldemort and I were both being raised into the air, our wands still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. We glided away from the tombstones of Voldemort's father, were Cecily was, and came to rest on a patch of ground that was clear of graves.

The Death Eaters were shouting; they were asking Voldemort for instructions; they were closing in, reforming the circle around us, the snake slithering at their heels, some of them drawing their wands… The golden thread connecting our wands splintered; though our wands remained connected, a thousand more beams arched high over our heads…crisscrossing all around us, until we were enclosed in a golden, dome shaped web, a cage of light, beyond which the Death Eaters circled like jackals, their cries strangely muffled now… "Do nothing!" Voldemort shrieked to the Death Eaters, and I saw his red eyes wide with astonishment at what was happening, saw him fighting to break the thread of light still connecting his wand to mine, I held onto my wand more tightly, with both hands, and the golden thread remained unbroken.

"Do nothing unless I command you!" Voldemort shouted to the Death Eaters. And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air…it was coming from every thread of the light spun web vibrating around Voldemort and I. It was a sound I recognized, though I had only heard it once before in my life: phoenix song. It was the sound of hope to me…the most beautiful and welcome thing I had ever heard…I felt as though the song was inside me, instead of just around us…it was the sound I connected with Dumbledore, and it was almost as though a friend was whispering in my ear…

_Do not break the connection._


	4. Chapter 4

-The Graveyard, Chapter 4-

_Adapted from the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 34_

HARRY POV

I know, I told the music, I know I mustn't…but no sooner had I thought it, than the thing became much harder to do. My wand began to vibrate more powerfully than ever…and now the beam between Voldemort and I changed too…it was as though large beads of light were sliding up and down the thread connecting the wands. I felt my wand give a shudder under my hand as the light beads began to slide my way…The direction of the beam's movement was now toward me, from Voldemort, and I felt my wand shudder angrily… As the closest bead moved nearer to my wand tip, the wood grew so hot I feared it would burst into flame. The closer the bead moved, the harder my wand vibrated; and I was sure my wand would not survive contact.

I concentrated every last particle of my mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort, my ears full of phoenix song, my eyes fixed on the bead….and slowly, the bead quivered to a halt and began to move the other way….and it was Voldemort's wand that was vibrating extra hard now… Voldemort looked astonished, almost fearful… One of the beads was inches away from his wand tip. I didn't understand why I was doing it, I didn't know what I would achieve…but I concentrated anyway, more than I ever have in my life on forcing that bead of light right back into Voldemort's wand…and slowly, it moved along the golden thread, it trembled for a moment, and then it connected.

At once, his wand began to emit echoing screams of pain…then-Voldemort's red eyes widened with shock- a dense, smoky being blossomed from the wand, and fell, then straightened. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Cecily. She cocked her head slightly, staring at Voldemort. Then she turned, and smiled at me, but then threw an anxious look back over to the gravestone. Her body still hung there, but as she looked at it, her head rose, and looked straight into her own eyes.

The alive Cecily seemed to nod, and the dead Cecily came smoothly over to me, and gave me an awkward, but long hug. I could not return the gesture, but as she hugged me, I seemed to be refreshed, the pain and aches dimmed. She pulled back and fished under her huge robes, and pulled out a tiny silver locket. She took it off and placed it around my neck. "Listen closely. Cecily is alive, spells do not affect the wearer of the ring," she glanced quickly at herself again. "In this locket are memories, memories you must deliver to Dumbledore. They will explain, and contain some information about him." She turned and glared at Voldemort, who was still watching her in shock. Suddenly, more beings began to blossom from Voldemort's wand. Out fell Cedric Diggory, who did the same thing Cecily did, and came over.

"Hold on, Harry." He said. His voice echoed, in a distant fashion, unlike Cecily's, who's voice was tired but clear. More beings emerged…An old man from my dream, Bertha Jorkins… They paced around the dome with Cedric, but Cecily remained next to me. And then…the smoky shadow of a tall man with untidy hair fell to the ground as they all had, straightened up, and looked at me…and I, my arms shaking madly now, looked back into the ghostly face of my father. He looked at Cecily a long moment, an unreadable expression on his face, and then turned back to me. "Your mother's coming…" he said quietly. "She wants to see you…it will be all right…hold on…" And she came; the smoky shadowy form of Lily Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort's wand, fell to the ground, and straightened like her husband.

She came quite close, and spoke quietly like Cecily had, "When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments…but we will give you time…you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts…do you understand, Harry?"

"Yes, but…" I gasped, looking over to Cecily, who looked grim.

"You have to go, there is no time to get me." She looked at her body. The alive Cecily had her eyes closed, and was breathing in a very shallow way.

"I won't leave you." I promised. She shook her head angrily.

"Listen to me, I can't die by spell, if I've come this far, I can survive for a bit longer. You _must _return. Then, come back when you have healed." She held her head high towards the end, and stepped back to stand between my parents. _Our_ parents.

"Harry…" whispered Cedric, distracting me, "Take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents…"

"I will," I said, trying to hold on longer to my wand. I couldn't leave…

"Do it now," said Cecily.

"Be ready to run…do it now…" whispered our father.

"NOW!" I yelled; I didn't think I could hold on longer anyway- I pulled my wand upward with an almighty wrench, and the golden thread broke; the cage of light vanished, the phoenix song died- but the shadowy figures of Voldemort's victims remained, and they closed in upon Voldemort, blocking his view of me, Cecily in the lead, stalking over angrily… I ran as I had never run in my life, knocking down two Death Eaters as I passed; I zigzagged behind headstones, the locket bouncing on my chest, dodging curses, pelting towards Cedric's body.

"_Stun him!"_ I heard Voldemort scream. "Run…Harry, Run!" I heard Cecily cry. I didn't know which one spoke, the ghost version or the real girl. Ten feet from Cedric, I dived behind a marble angel, and saw the tip of its wing shatter from the curses. Gripping my wand more tightly, I dashed out from behind the angel-

"_Impedimenta!"_ I bellowed, pointing my wand randomly behind my shoulder. From a muffled yell, I thought I had stopped at least one, but there was no time to stop and look; I jumped over the cup and dived as I heard more wand blasts behind me…more jets of light flew over my head as I fell, stretching out my hand to grab Cedric's arm-

"Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!" shrieked Voldemort. My hand had closed around Cedric's wrist, one tombstone stood between me and Voldemort, but Cedric was too heavy to carry, the cup was out of reach- Voldemort's red eyes flamed in the darkness. I saw his mouth curl into a smile as he raised his wand.

'_Accio!"_ I yelled, pointing my wand at the cup. It flew into the air and soared toward me. I caught it by the handle- I heard Voldemort's scream of fury at the same moment that I felt the jerk behind my navel that meant the Portkey had worked-it was speeding me away in a whirlwind of wind and color, and Cedric along with me…We were going back.


	5. Chapter 5

-The Graveyard, Chapter Five-

_Adapted from the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 35_

HARRY POV

I felt myself slam into the ground; my face pressing into the grass. I kept my eyes closed; I had closed them as soon as the graveyard vanished. I did not move. All the breath had been knocked out of me; my head was swimming and over and over again, the scene played in my mind; the first time I had seen Cecily. I had left her to die, my own _sister. _The world swayed sharply so I tightened my grip on the cup and Cedric. Cedric; I had killed him too. I should have just taken the cup, like he said…

I felt like I would slide into the blackness gathering at the edges of my brain if I let go of Cedric or the cup. Exhausted, I lay still; waiting…waiting for someone to do something…something to happen…and all the while, my scar ached on my forehead.

The sound pressing in on me was incredible. I head voices everywhere, footsteps, screams…I remained still, my face screwed up as the noise started to give me a headache. The locket pressed into my chest. Then a pair of hands seized me roughly and turned me over. "Harry! _Harry!"_

I slowly opened my eyes.

I was looking upwards, straight into Dumbledore's face, the starry sky behind him. Dark shadows pressed in around us, pushing nearer. I was at the edge of the maze. I could see the stands rising above me, the shapes of people moving in them, the stars above.

I let go of the cup, but clutched Cedric closer. I raised my free hand and seized Dumbledore's wrist to steady myself; his face was swimming in and out of focus.

"He's back," I found myself whispering. "He's back, Voldemort." Before Dumbledore could say anything, Cornelius Fudge was above me, looking appalled.

"What's going on? What happened?" he asked. Then he noticed Cedric. Word spread like wildfire, and I could hear people screaming and sobbing. Dumbledore slowly reached down and turned over the locket, then looked sharply at me. I was about to question him on why he kept Cecily from me, when Fudge interrupted again. 'Harry, let go of him," he said, and I felt fingers trying to pry him away, but I wouldn't let go. Then Dumbledore's face, which was still blurred and misted, came closer.

"Harry, you can't help him now. It's over. Let go." I feebly tried to explain about Cedric, about how he'd ask me to bring him back. "That's right, Harry…just let go now…" Dumbledore bent down and with extraordinary strength for one so old, set me back up on my feet. I instantly swayed; my head pounding. My injured leg would no longer support my weight. After a few confusing moments, Mad Eye Moody took me back to the castle. I started to explain to him what happened as we walked, but kept Cecily a secret. If Dumbledore wouldn't tell _me,_ he better have not told him. Anger seeped into me the more I thought about Cecily. _Why_ had Dumbledore kept her a secret? Was it his fault that she was a prisoner to Voldemort?

Moody tipped something down my throat, and his office became clearer, as did Moody himself. He looked as white as Fudge, and both eyes were fixed on my face. He started to question me, but something was surfacing in my memory… Suddenly, I remembered. "There is a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here-they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end-" I tried to get up, but Moody pushed me back down. Then he said that _he _did it. He started explaining this wild story; I didn't want to believe it, but somehow it could have worked. But _Mad Eye Moody?_ The ex-Auror? That didn't make any sense at all. Moody started to look more and more insane as he raved on, looking triumphant. I felt impatient as well as scared as he blathered on. Every second I wasted was a second Cecily was with Voldemort… But Moody's wand was pointed directly at my heart. If I reached for my wand, he would be faster.

Suddenly, with a bang, the office door was blown open, and Moody was thrown backward onto the office floor. Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore were in the doorway, as they were in Moody's Foe-Glass, glaring in. In the next hour, Moody, the _real_ Moody was found, and the truth revealed. I understood Voldemort's explanation earlier that night entirely. It all fit. Then I went with Dumbledore to his office, and met Sirius again. He was white and gaunt looking, he looked like he had just escaped from Azkaban. I slowly told them everything, leaving nothing out this time. When I mentioned Cecily, Sirius's face twisted terribly, and he hid his face in his hands. "It's my entire fault, all of it." He groaned. "I thought for sure she was dead."

I continued, until I reached the part about our wands connecting. Dumbledore explained to Sirius and I, and I cautiously lifted the necklace off of my chest and handed it to him. "She wanted me to deliver this to you, it explains to me, and has information regarding Voldemort." I said quietly, and he took it, cradling it like a precious artifact. "It has memories inside." I continued, and Sirius leaned over in interest, his face still twisted with sorrow. Dumbledore retrieved some glass vials with a flick of his wand, and I recognized them as vials used to fill memories, ones that would go in his Pensieve.

Carefully he opened the locket. Inside, filled to the brim, was one large memory. Ever so slowly, he poured it inside the vial. It filled the whole thing, and swirled around in various colors. "Amazing, she collected all the memories she would need to expose Voldemort and explain her situation and always had them on hand, adding to it all the time." Dumbledore said, examining it closely.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked; that old anger returning until I was shouting. "_She is my sister! My family! _She's been there for Merlin knows how long because you _abandoned _her!" My hands started to shake in rage, and Fawkes flew off of my leg and to his stand as Dumbledore answered slowly.

"I did not tell you about Cecily because you had suffered so much already. You're parents were trying to keep you two a secret, Voldemort was still searching for them. Word got out…and you see what happened. Even I believed that Cecily had been killed." He explained softly, and I saw Sirius give him an angry look. I snorted, still angry, but changed the subject. I could yell at Dumbledore all I wanted, but Cecily's memory was definitely more important.

"We are going to watch it now, right?" I asked, gesturing to the vial. Fawkes had repaired my leg, it didn't hurt anymore, and I wanted to see badly what had happened to my sister.

"No Harry, You need to rest. You have had a terrible ordeal tonight, and you need to rest." I opened my mouth to argue, but I knew that Dumbledore wouldn't bend. Sirius escorted us both down to the hospital wing.

Many things happened there, but for most of it, I was asleep. The Sleeping Potion I was given came as a relief; I knew that I would only dream of Cecily. Everytime I awoke (minus when Fudge refused to believe that Voldemort had returned) I was itching to get my hands on that memory. The worst part was the interview with Cedric's parents. Directly after, I broke the news to Ron and Hermione as they walked me back to Gryffindor Tower. I told them everything, especially about Cecily. I couldn't tell them much, but they knew that I had a sister, and that I had to leave her there with Voldemort. That fact tortured me day and night. I had done what she'd asked- but I regretted it. The only thing keeping her alive was that _ring, _something I didn't even understand.

As soon as I could, I went straight to Dumbledore's office. After a long discussion (and me yelling), he told me that I could see the memory. He told me to come up after the feast. The feast itself was terrible. I felt guilty all over again about Cedric. But as soon as the feast was over, I told Ron and Hermione where I was going, and went to his office. He was already there, staring into the Pensieve. "I have not viewed this memory Harry, it is private. I want you to be prepared; you will see things I wish you wouldn't have to." He said, and poured the memory in. 'Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded, took his arm, and he and I entered the Pensieve.


	6. Chapter 6

-The Graveyard, Chapter Six-

_Adapted from nothing this time!_

HARRY POV

Slowly, almost fuzzily, we descended into her memory. The memory itself was old, but was in perfect clarity.

_A much younger, happier, and healthier Sirius walked by with Cecily on his shoulders. She was giggling, and couldn't be more than two years old._ _He set her down to look at something in a shop window, and she slowly toddled away, and still giggling, was swept up by none other than Lucius Malfoy. He took her deep into Knockturn Alley, to Borgin and Brukes. She could hear Sirius calling for her, but Lucius would not let go._

_He set her down in the shop and she toddled around uncertainly. "Come here little girl, I have something for you. Come here…" Lucius cooed, holding out something. It was a little package. Her younger self took it and opened it. Her chubby little fingers picked up a plain, silver ring with a diamond shaped blue stone, and it twisted out of her grip and on to her finger, sizing appropriately. _

_She laughed and clapped, admiring it. Then, she started to teeth on it. "Seerweeus!" she called, and toddled to the door, but Lucius scooped her up, and Apparated._

I felt myself shaking with anger as the memory swirled to the next one.

_Deep in a forest, a sulky, tired and sick little girl was sitting, sitting on a stump, and just next to her was a swirling dark mass. "Why should I hate Dumbledore? I don't even know who that is!" she said, like only a cross little girl could. She crossed her little arms with a huff, glaring off into some trees. _

"_You aren't listening…I'm the only one who cares for you. Everyone else wants to kill you, including the one called Harry. He wants to kill you." _

"_But…" she started, but the being started to move, and she followed dutifully, a grey mist keeping the two together._

My whole body froze, and I was grateful that the memory was changing again. I felt Dumbledore's eyes on me, but I ignored him.

"_Hurry up!" Wormtail was yelling at Cecily as she crumpled, exhausted a few feet away. He strode over and grabbed her by the hair. "Did you dispose of her? DID YOU?" he yelled._

"_Y-y-yes." She croaked. Her face was awash with tears, and she looked around 16. "Good, we are leaving." _

_Cecily's face froze. "Where are we going?" she asked. _

_Wormtail whirled and slapped her across the face. "I ask the questions, not you!" he bellowed, and conjured a cord to tie her wrists firmly together. Then they were traveling, traveling until they reached a house, and Mr. Crouch was put under the imperious curse. Cecily was locked in the basement._

The memory cut off abruptly. I angrily wiped a tear off my face and tried to concentrate.

"_Watch her Avery." Came Wormtail's voice. Cecily was chained to a crumbling brick wall with manacles, and she tensed as Avery came over. _

"_I hear you've stopped aging…forever 17…wouldn't that be nice." He sneered, and kicked her in the stomach. She dropped like a brick. He kneeled down and tore at her robes, punching hitting. _

This memory had been tampered with. No sooner had Avery started to hit her face, it switched. What was she hiding?

"_Where are we?" a voice asked. _

I gasped at the sound of my own voice.

_Cecily stiffened, and stretched. Her face was all beat up, and her robes were still torn. _

"_Avada kedavra!" Wormtail's voice yelled. Cecily was on her tippy-toes, trying to see past the graves, her chains clinking._

The memory continued as I faintly heard what she had heard, the ceremony that gave Voldemort his body back. As soon as he said my name, she started tugging, fighting. She recognized it- and I wondered why.

_She hissed in satisfaction as Voldemort said, "Get up Avery. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive." But then she started fighting again, tugging. One hand slid out of the manacle, cutting her wrist. Blood fell slowly as she continued to tug on her other hand._

_It was the hand with the ring on it. Wormtail emerged from the dark and ran over, pulling out his wand. They struggled, and then she brought her hand up, and the ring flashed._

_It threw Wormtail back, and with a loud crack, he hit a gravestone a few feet away and lay still. Gasping, Cecily pulled free of the other manacles and crept around the graves, until she was peeking around one, and saw the formation._

_She gasped silently when the Death Eaters shifted, revealing Harry. Voldemort raised his wand and time seemed to slow down. _

_Cecily slid closer, silently tiptoeing behind graves, closer to the action, then bolted, shoving Death Eaters aside, and tackled Voldemort before he could cast his spell._

_The Death Eater's were on her instantly, working to holding her back. Voldemort back-handed her, and the Harry in the memory winced._

I winced too. The whole rest of that night continued, flowing seamlessly. The only thing that seemed out of place is when Voldemort 'introduced' Avery to her. She had looked so scared. Why?

Then it switched to farther back in time. The old man from my dream lay dead on the floor, and Wormtail was crossing the room, and opened a door.

_Cecily tumbled out tied up in a complicated combination of ropes and chains. Her mouth was covered in some sort of bubble, and any words she said were not heard. She went to stand up, but Wormtail shoved her back in, and then brought the dead man's body back over to him with his wand. _

_He shoved the body in on top of her and closed the door._

"_My Lord…the plan will work. I have already started on the future plans. The agent you requested is scoping out the Department of Mysteries." Wormtail said, although the sound was muffled. There was no light, and it was warm and cramped in the closet she was in._

_Voldemort laughed. 'I doubt we will need the back up plan. We will go to the Crouch household tomorrow, and Harry Potter __**will**__ die."_

Suddenly, I was back on Dumbledore's office floor, a mix of emotions coursing through me. Anger bubbled from deep within, and sadness was close on the list. But a hint of curiosity lingered. A lot of my questions had been answered, but what was in the Department of Mysteries? And why did Cecily fear Avery?


	7. Chapter 7

-The Graveyard, Chapter 7-

_Still Adapted from nothing!_

HARRY POV

I slowly got up, avoiding Dumbledore's gaze. I was about to burst from anger. Why didn't I know about this? I could have kept her safe, away from Voldemort, if I had known. The hot anger returned when I wondered, why didn't Dumbledore keep her safe? Surely he didn't just believe that she had vanished, or been killed that night. That was his earlier excuse, but now I knew better. Why wouldn't he try to save her?

I didn't notice that Dumbledore was moving about the room until he walked right past me. He had an owl on his arm, and he threw it out the window. Then with a heavy sigh, he plopped down behind his desk. "I'm going to track them down. I will find them, and I _will_ get her back." I swore, almost to myself. Even if Dumbledore had ignored her suffering, I wasn't going to. Dumbledore looked up sharply as I spoke.

"You can't do that." He said calmly, and it made my blood boil.

"_I can do whatever I want_. The school year is over, and I have all summer. It can't be that hard to find him and since you did NOTHING TO-" I was shouting, but Dumbledore interrupted.

"Harry. You _cannot_ do that. I want to find her as much as you do, but it's not that simple. You can't do it alone, and your quest will take you straight to Voldemort. He will kill you, and judging by Cecily's memory, he has a backup plan, and is probably extremely angry you escaped." The logic was starting to work on me, but I didn't want it to.

"I can't just leave her with him until he comes for me again." I wanted to yell it, but it came out as a whisper. He sighed and rubbed his face.

"You have to. These are dangerous times, and Voldemort is going to get stronger before he gets weaker. You are safe at you Aunt and Uncles, and at the Weasley's, and that's where you will stay until you can return to Hogwarts. I just sent a letter to a colleague in the Ministry who believes the truth. He is already alerted others for our cause inside the Ministry to keep an eye on the Department of Mysteries."

I sighed in defeat and stood up. "I have to go, trains are coming in." I stiffly pointed out the window to where the trains were lining up at the station. From this far away, they looked like toys. Dumbledore put a hand on my shoulder, and I resented it. If he had only believed in my sister this never would have happened, and I wouldn't be so alone.

"I know this is hard for you. Good luck, and _stay_ at you Aunt's until I send someone for you." I nodded mutely and he let me go. I met Ron and Hermione silently at the bottom of the Grand Staircase, and we left Hogwarts.

CECILY POV

My whole body throbbed and ached. I was sure I had broken a few ribs, and my left eye was still swollen. When Harry had gotten away, Voldemort had become angrier than I have ever seen him. He took it out on me. It went on for ages it seemed. I had smashed into countless graves as he punched, kicked and verbally abused me. I was used to the abuse, after awhile, it felt like I was floating.

But I wasn't floating now. The Death Eaters had left, and Voldemort had conjured a black granite sarcophagus from nowhere. "You think that he is safe? Do you think that you have won? You haven't. You and your brother _will_ die." He had hissed in my face, and had dragged me by the hair over to the sarcophagus. He threw me inside and laughed as he pulled the lid over, plunging me into darkness. It was so dark, I couldn't see my hands. After a while, the ring glowed faintly in the darkness, illuminating my harsh prison.

I tentatively pushed on the lid. He had sealed it with a charm. Then I had let myself collapse in the surprisingly roomy sarcophagus and the pain came quickly in my cold surroundings. My whole right arm was still swollen, and I was sure it was either broken or severely bruised. Judging by the pain, it was broken. Wishing I could carry a wand, I tore the robes I wore and fashioned a sling, and I couldn't help but scream as I set my arm. Definitely broken. I could hear Voldemort laughing, and then I realized I was moving. My whole prison was moving. Fighting back tears, I stopped the bleeding on a cut on my forehead, and settled down to wait.

After a while, the moving stopped, but I still sat stationary. My stomach rumbled, but I ignored it. I was used to being hungry. I was used to a lot of things, things I shouldn't have to be used to. But I was. Idly, I twisted the ring on my finger. A blessing and a curse. It had saved Harry's life, and mine on occasion, but it kept me tied to Voldemort, he wanted it's power. Even if I could take it off and give it away, I wouldn't. I knew that if I were to give up this ring, he would control the wizarding world forever. That's why I would never give it to him willingly, not ever.

Silently fighting back the doubts, fears and worries, I curled carefully into a ball, wincing in pain. I wanted so badly to be saved. For the past 17 years, I had always assumed that I was going to be stuck with Voldemort forever. Nobody would ever find me. I was wrong. And the irrational hope had filled me up, the chance that sometime, someday, Harry would be back, with reinforcements, and I'd be safe. And that hope was dangerous.

Harry couldn't come alone, and he wasn't old enough to take on Voldemort. It would be awhile before he could come. But if Voldemort made a mistake…

_That will never happen._ I told myself. Never. He might have before, but with Harry slipping away right under his nose, he would triple check everything. But the hope still swelled in me. Pain and exhaustion coming over me in waves, I eventually fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

-The Graveyard, Chapter 8-

_Sort of Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix_

HARRY POV

The summer was agonizing. As each day passed, I couldn't help but count it as another day that could have killed Cecily. I was dying to pack up a bag and go out in search of Voldemort. But each time I packed it, I unpacked it again. Dumbledore was right; I can't just go out and get her. Plus, the Daily Prophet had no new news on Voldemort. After a while, I stopped reading them. It wasn't worth it. And the recent dementor attack wasn't helping. I had just sent out letters to Ron and Hermione, and they would hopefully write back soon with information. Considering I knew absolutely _nothing,_ and I had heard _nothing_ from them, it was about damn time for me to get some answers. Frustrated, I flopped onto my bed, the clothing and supplies from another bag strewn about the room. I closed my eyes in frustration and listened to the cars going by…

Then numbing cold blackness enfolded me. I was in a long, low black space. Everything was made out of a rough black stone, and the only source of light was a very dim blue light in the far right corner. Hesitantly, I inched closer. The light was coming from a ring. On a hand. _Cecily._ I immediately crawled over and turned her over. She moaned in pain but relaxed. She had been sleeping in a ball, for protection I assumed, but it had kept me from seeing her injuries. Her right arm was done up in a sling, and looked to be swollen. Her whole left eye was a dark purple, almost black. A long scratch followed her hairline, and the usual bruises and cuts still littered her face.

That was all that was visible in the dim light, but I had a nasty feeling there were more. But one thing was glaringly obvious; Voldemort was starving her. Her thin face was even thinner from the last time I had seen her. Her whole body was swamped by the robes she wore. The hand that was clearly illuminated by the ring was thin and bony; it was shaking too, like her whole body. Abruptly, her eyes fluttered open and fixed on my face. Her expression quickly turned to horror. "Get out of here…he will find you…" she whispered hoarsely, and her voice cracked. I shook my head and knocked it on the low ceiling. I didn't know if this was real or a dream, but no matter what, I wasn't going to leave her again.

With a trembling hand, she seized my wrist. Her ring flashed, blinding me as I heard the top open and a scream of fury- I woke up gasping on my own bed, on Privet Drive, far away from Cecily. I had been so close…the dream had been real…

CECILY POV

I sighed as in a flash of light, Harry vanished. Voldemort was furious with me. Harry must have been dreaming, just like I had dreamed of him before. Voldemort strode over and easily lifted me out of the sarcophagus by the throat. "You helped him escape!" He roared, and dropped me. I landed on my ankle with a crunch, and I gasped in pain.

Just because a spell couldn't kill me didn't make me safe from Voldemort. His physical abuse made me very careful not to get on his bad side, lest he finally beat me to death and take the ring for himself. "I'm glad…you will fall…" I wheezed, still breathless, my throat on fire. He raised a hand to hit me, but stopped. His face calmed and twisted into an evil smile, his disgusting red eyes gleaming. He reached into his cloak and threw a few pieces of dried bread into the sarcophagus. I ignored them as he watched me. I didn't even feel the hunger anymore. He leaned down until our faces were even. I looked into his eyes without flinching or looking away, raising my chin defiantly. "He will come back, and I will catch him. But you are in luck, you won't die. You are too useful…however; your _brother_ is quite a different story." He smirked, and because of the ring, I knew he was telling the truth. Then he pushed the lid back in place, bringing the stinging blackness once more. I memorized the surroundings I had seen behind him; we were in a house. A house with a dark and black basement.

I found the pieces of bread, and ate them. I would need all the strength I could; I was going to warn Harry in the only way I knew how. Voldemort would leave me alone now- and the rare privacy was what I needed most. I took a deep breath, then I plunged deep into my memories. The rings light danced on the inside of my eyelids, and I chased the connection… I opened my eyes and took in Harry's room. My view was restricted; I was in his mirror, but I could see most of the room. It was messy, but it suited him. He was seated on his bed, head in his hands. For a second, I could only look at him. Our time together in the Graveyard had been short, and my mind had wandered and wondered about him almost constantly since. He looked a lot like Dad- and it made my heart clench.

"Harry." I croaked, and he jumped a foot into the air, and then rushed over in awe to his mirror. He winced and swelled in anger at my reflection. I didn't know how I looked, but I guess it wasn't very healthy looking.

"Cecily…" he gasped and touched the mirror. I frowned at him and he removed his hand. If he kept his hand there, he would be sucked in. I couldn't let him fall to Voldemort, not if I could help it.

"Listen. If you dream of me again, Voldemort will catch you. You are traveling in your dreams, and it has to stop. He is setting a trap for when you do it again." I warned him, letting my eyes devour his image. He had bags- so he wasn't sleeping well. Harry had a strong jaw, Mum's eyes, and Dad's hair. To think that for all this time I hadn't been alone made my heart hurt even more. Harry looked at the mirror hungrily, his face twisted.

"Can't I take you back with me?" he asked, fingertips hovering by the surface of the mirror. I shook my head.

"_NO._" I said a little too firmly. "I'm only communicating with you because this stupid ring can do that." I gestured angrily with my left hand, ignoring the pain the movement created. His eyes flicked down to it for a second, then looked back to me. "I'm warning you Harry, _please_ don't do it again." My vision wavered and my prison flickered into my sight- and then I was in Harry's mirror again.

I hated the anguish on his face. I hated that I had to communicate to him like this. I hated my life, but most importantly, I hated Voldemort for doing this to us. I had always hated him, but this filled me with rage until I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. I wanted to stay with Harry, to be safe, un-abused and with family. I felt my strength growing thin; I was still hurt, and mirror communication took a lot of energy. "I know that you'll find a way. But please be careful, and be warned, Voldemort will try to mess with your mind. If you see him hurting me, it's a lie. If you see him killing me, it's a lie." I spoke quickly, utilizing the time I had left, then gasped as my vision began to tunnel. This was dangerous, using all my energy like this, but I wanted so badly to stay.

"Hold on, Cecily!" Harry cried, leaning closer. My face screwed up in pain as I fought to keep the connection. It hurt to stand, so I was slowly falling to my knees, falling to the ground—

He put both hands flat on the mirror, panicking. "Don't go-" he gasped and whipped his head around, lifting his hands in surprise as I clearly heard something break downstairs. Then his room vanished abruptly and I slumped into unconsciousness, back inside the sarcophagus.


	9. Chapter 9

-The Graveyard, Chapter 9-

_Adapted from lots of chapters in the Order of the Phoenix…_

HARRY POV

I punched the mirror in anger when I saw she was gone. Anger filling me up and slight fear, I pulled out my wand and crept downstairs, trying to dispel my emotion for Cecily and focus on the potentially dangerous situation I was now in. The strange collection of wizards in the kitchen made me wary, wand raised. But when I saw Lupin and Moody I calmed down, and stepped out of the shadows. Eventually, I made it to Grimmauld Place, the Hearing, and from there, to Hogwarts. Even though Cecily's warning was fresh in my mind, I couldn't help but think about her. I had told Ron and Hermione about the dream, and the mirror, and neither were very happy.

I was getting increasingly angrier by the day. The combined stress of Cecily, Umbridge, and all of my school work, I felt like my head was going to explode. Every detention I had with Umbridge was spent worrying as the scratches were etched deeper into my hand. And then Hermione thought about _me_ teaching about THIRTY kids Defense Against the Dark Arts. Finally I caved and agreed. And I actually started to enjoy it; the first class went really well. The second one was…interesting. Kissing Cho was unbelievable. I hadn't known what to think, even do really. For once I had most of my worries off of my mind.

And then I dreamed again. It wasn't Cecily this time, but I dreamed I was a snake, sleek and powerful, that attacked Mr. Weasley. Then, for the first time in months, I was going to see Dumbledore. He had been avoiding me, and it confused and angered me. He still owed me an apology and some answers. Despite the strange feeling I got that made me want to attack him, the Portkey took us to Grimmauld Place, and after sorting things out, we went to St. Mungo's. I didn't return from there the same. Over and over I kept thinking about what Moody had said to Mr. Weasley as I eavesdropped with one of the twins extendable ears. Their conversation had been fierce and laden with worry about what Voldemort could be doing to me…

Could Voldemort be possessing me? Only one person could tell me that…and that was Cecily. But I hadn't dreamed of her for months, trying to keep my word to her. But I couldn't do it any longer, I needed to know. When Mrs. Weasley told me to get some sleep, I went and did just that. As I lay awake, trying to fall asleep, I chanted her name over and over in my head, hoping it would work. When I wasn't falling asleep, I got up and sifted through my trunk, to the bottom and pulled out the ugly pair of socks I had balled up.

I unrolled them and inside was the locket I had received from Cecily. Dumbledore had the memories safely stored away in his office, so he returned the locket to me. I carefully undid the clasp and put it on. Feeling slightly foolish, I got back into bed, fingering the oval shaped pendant until I finally fell asleep…

I was walking down a deserted corridor toward a plain black door, past rough stone walls, torches, and an open doorway onto a flight of stone steps leading downstairs on the left…I reached the black door but could not open it. I stood gazing at it, desperate for entry…something I wanted with all my heart laid beyond…a prize beyond my dreams…If only my scar would stop prickling so I could think…

The dream changed abruptly.

I was in the sarcophagus again, crouched in the corner, listening. The cover was open, and Cecily was gone. But I could clearly hear something whistling, and hitting something with a sick _smack, _over and over again, followed by a groan each time. It stopped abruptly and he heard liquid being poured and a great shuddering gasp followed. I froze as I heard the high, cold voice from my dreams…

I dared to inch forward, and peeked over the top of the sarcophagus. My heart immediately clenched in anger. Cecily was strapped spread eagle face down on a rough hewed stone table, and she was soaking wet, shivering and gasping. Her face was facing me, and it broke my heart. Her narrower face seemed to be even gaunter, and her eyes looked misty with pain. A cauldron sat nearby them, and I assumed that it had been holding the water. Cecily's robes were open in the back, and long red slashes were cut deep into her back. Avery stood by with a whip in his hands. The end was red with her blood, and drops were slowly dripping off onto the floor. I almost vaulted out of the sarcophagus right then and there, but Voldemort was speaking, so I listened harder, clenching my wand in my fist.

"He hasn't come back Cecily. Why is that? Why hasn't that pathetic brother of yours returned to help you? Do you know why? Because he doesn't care. He doesn't care about you, or love you. He will never come back." Voldemort said slowly, accentuating each word. Cecily's whole body shuddered with violent gasps.

"He—hasn't returned…because-" she gasped for air. "Because…I keep him from _you."_ She ended, still shaking. Her face had changed, it was defiant, a glare that Voldemort couldn't ignore. He adapted a look of forced calm as he strode over to Avery and took the whip from him.

"_Barbarous."_ He said softly, pointing his wand at the whip. Long spikes, almost cactus like grew out of the whip. But he didn't give it back to Avery. He bent down to speak to her again. "You can't defy me forever. You will slip up one day, and he will come back. And he will die." Then with stunning speed, he brought the whip up-

"Harry," said Ron's voice rather loudly, jerking me from the dream, Cecily's scream or pure pain ringing in my ears. "Mum says dinner's ready, but she'll save something if you want to stay in bed…"

Ready to scream with frustration, I opened my eyes, but Ron had already gone. I turned back over, and after a slight hesitation, took of Cecily's locket and dropped it on the floor.

I didn't want to see anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

-The Graveyard, Chapter Ten-

_Adapted from Chapters 23, 24, 25 of the Order of the Phoenix_

HARRY POV

The days blurred by. Ron, Hermione and Ginny cornered me after a few days of moping and made me spill, so now all of them were worried. The dream played in my head constantly, making me brood all the time. My only relief was that I hadn't been possessed by Voldemort- and with Cecily's help, I probably wouldn't be. Christmas was fantastic, although I couldn't stop thinking about her. She had never had a Christmas before. For awhile, I caught myself wondering what it'd be like, wondering what _Cecily _was like. I didn't know her, and she didn't know me. So, against everyone's better judgment, I wore her locket now, under my robes. I couldn't help it, I felt like I had made an empty promise to her. And then I was returning to Hogwarts, with Occlumency lessons to look forward to. Occlumency was terrible. Not only because of Snape, but the memories were the worst, a torture I couldn't even take in private. Upon seeing Cecily three times in a row, Snape abandoned the lesson all together, smirking.

Unfortunately, that was only the first lesson. But I had realized that whatever Voldemort wanted, it was in the Department of Mysteries. Upon telling this to Ron and Hermione, while Fred and George advertised their Headless Hats, they were just as confused as I was. I had been thinking for awhile that the weapon was me, but possessed. Obviously, there was something else he wanted…

Feeling ill, I went to go to bed, when pain so severe, it felt like someone was cutting open my head hit me like a wrecking ball. I didn't know if I was standing up, sitting down, I didn't even know my own name… Maniacal laughter was ringing in my ears…He was happier than he had been in a long time… Jubilant, ecstatic, triumphant… A wonderful, wonderful thing had happened…

Eventually, Ron had to hit me round the face to rouse me. I had no idea what had happened, but whatever _did_ happen…Voldemort was happy. The next day we found out, the ten Death Eaters from Azkaban had escaped, and the dementors had left. I stared at the newspaper, looking at the hooded eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange. At Augustus Rookwood. At Antonin Dolohov. Unconsciously, I made sure Cecily's locket was still there. With the Death Eaters free from Azkaban, it would be much harder to get her back. Much, _much_ harder. It would probably be harder on her too, with more evil surrounding her. The worry and the anger, made me snappy all the time, and Occlumency wasn't helping my mood. It seemed that with every lesson I was getting worse. Before I had started studying Occlumency, my scar prickled occasionally, usually during the night, or else following one of those strange flashes of Voldemort's thoughts or moods that I experienced every now and then. I no longer dreamed of Cecily.

But now, my scar hardly ever stopped hurting. It made it hard not to dream of the windowless corridor to the Department of Mysteries every night (which I did dream of _every_ night) and it was difficult to concentrate on the smallest of things. The only good thing that I enjoyed was the D.A. meetings. Everyone was improving faster than I ever could have imagined. Neville, after hearing about the Lestrange's escape from Azkaban, was almost doing as well as Hermione. And as January passed into February, I was painfully aware that my date with Cho was rapidly approaching…

CECILY POV

I gasped for air, flat on my stomach. I hadn't moved since Avery dumped me back into the sarcophagus. My back was on fire, all of the old wounds reopened by this latest beating. I was terrified. All of the Death Eaters were free, which made my life hell. The night Voldemort introduced them to me was hell. Of course, Voldemort was happier now-days, and I got a bit more food, but I could hardly ever keep it down. He had been starving me for so long, eating disgusted me. My stomach rolled at the sight of it, (not only because the food itself was disgusting) and refused to digest it. Recently, I had started ripping away at my robes. They had become so big; I was risking strangulation if I slept in them.

I had started making bandages, but I had to take them off before Bellatrix or Avery where ordered to beat me. He still was trying to make me slip up, to break down. But I was still holding out. Harry would _never_ dream of me until I wanted him to. I had to keep him safe, it was the only thing I could do for him. My back stinging, I carefully pushed myself over to the corner full of my makeshift bandages, and tied long strips around my back, trying to stop the bleeding. They had hit bone today, and it felt like it was on fire. I was used to pain, to being uncomfortable, but this was a whole new level of agony. Before I knew that Harry even _existed,_ I was like a robot, with a hard, stalwart exterior that never showed emotion, and it kept me safe. But now, it was like I had completely been broken. I caught myself crying at times when I should have been staying tough, staying vigilant. I felt weak and downtrodden, like Voldemort had won.

I didn't want to see a mirror. I knew I looked like a skeleton, with my bones jutting out. The ring had been forced to size itself down to keep from falling off my bony finger. Woozy from the blood loss, I tried to relax, while staying on my guard. Voldemort couldn't break me down, not when so much was at stake.

And recently, some pale faced little snot had been here, and he was more than happy to hurt me. He had laughed every time he cracked the whip. Later, I learned I was in the basement of his house. He attends Hogwarts. As the tunnel vision closed in once more, I could only hope Harry was safe from that rat, the rat named Draco…


	11. Chapter 11

-The Graveyard, Chapter Eleven-

_Adapted from Chapter 26 of the Order of the Phoenix_

HARRY POV

The date was a disaster. Fortunately, the surprise interview with Rita after was a huge success. I told her everything, even the information about Cecily. At first I had been wary, not wanting Rita to know about her. But Hermione insisted that it would help our case, so I reluctantly told Rita. She flipped out, of course. Rita demanded that I tell her every detail, what Cecily looked like, what she sounded like, how we've communicated, everything. Grudgingly, I did tell her everything I could.

Then one day, as I came in for breakfast, a huge storm of letters came for me. The interview had been printed. People were writing in from everywhere, offering condolences, and their thoughts. It made me happy and uncomfortable at the same time. One, people where acting like Cecily was dead. And two, people were writing to me like I was a hero. But the look on Umbridge's face was worth it when I told her. After Umbridge banned the Quibbler, students were talking about it everywhere. Girls where coming up to me and apologizing and expressing their sorrow for Cecily. Some even started crying. Kids were bewitching their copies of the interview, and by nightfall, it seemed that everyone had read it. The people it seemed to affect the most were Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott's son. I had named all of their fathers as Death Eaters, but for some reason, Malfoy still smirked at me every time I passed, especially in Potions. It made me feel uneasy. Malfoy knew something I didn't, and that was never a good thing.

As the days passed, I grew more and more impatient. Why didn't Voldemort just have a go at me already? The D.A. lessons had helped me out just as much as the other kids. I wanted this, so whatever he was planning, I would be ready.

And then I had the dream about Rookwood and Voldemort, and it completely threw me off track. Rookwood had worked in the Department of Mysteries. Whatever information he gave Voldemort, it made him change his actions. Things were changing, and I didn't know what he had even changed in the first place. I wanted things to change, and _now_. Everyday, Cecily was suffering while I sat around doing nothing. It was absolutely maddening. So I threw myself into Occlumency. After breaking into Snape's memories, I felt pretty good…until he wanted to try it again.

CECILY POV

Loud voices were echoing from upstairs, and laughter. Dread filled my empty stomach at the sound of it. It sounded like the Death Eaters were getting drunk again. Usually, after the partying, they came downstairs and beat me up for fun. But the loud footsteps and drunken swearing they usually made were replaced by quiet, fleeting footsteps that stopped right outside the sarcophagus, and the lid was removed silently, which meant that Voldemort was visiting, not a Death Eater.

I quickly flipped off of my back and crouched down on my hands and knees, the way he taught me to greet him. This pose always made rage ignite somewhere in me deep inside. It was as if I _wanted_ to obey him when I bowed to him like that. I felt his wand slide silently under my bony chin and tilt it upward, and then I was staring dead into his face. I didn't flinch or look away, that tiny speck of anger helping me to take in the slitted nostrils, the high cheekbones in his pale and evil face... His eyes danced with pleasure as he took in my shaking limbs, my gaunt, skeletal face. Then he reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a rolled up…_magazine?_ My eyes flickered down to it, and he hit me full across the face; I felt a bone break, right below my eye. He seized the front of my robes and pulled me up to his face from where I had fallen. He took in the blood running down my face with an evil smirk. "You're a star now." He said softly, and tapped me on the nose with the magazine. I was utterly confused. What did he mean?

He dropped me and I stayed where I was, crumpled into almost a sitting position against the wall of the sarcophagus, watching as he unrolled it with a sinister _smack._ His eyes scanned the front cover and he smirked. "Yes, you my dear, are a star. You made your debut in _The Quibbler_ without even knowing it…amazing." He continued quietly, convinced he had my undivided attention, his voice filling with menace. He flipped it open, curling the cover under the other pages, and his eyes scanned the article in question. "Here." He held it out to me and I flinched. When I didn't take it, he threw it at me, and I ducked; the magazine landing in my lap. I picked it up and gasped. On the front cover was…_Harry's face._ I stared at it, glad I could read. The heading boldly declared:

**HARRY POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: **

**THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN.**

I looked up as Voldemort closed the cover of my prison, leaving me with two words that chilled me. "Happy reading." Darkness fell once more. My ring glowed ominously now, as I frantically opened the magazine after quickly gazing at Harry's face. He seemed to be alright, healthy, safe…but how long would that last?


	12. Chapter 12

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twelve-

_Adapted from Chapter 27 of the Order of the Phoenix_

HARRY POV

Easter was very near as Firenze started teaching Divination. He was much better than Trelawney, in fact, I actually learned something. His classroom was now my favorite, it felt as though you were actually in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest, not inside Hogwarts.

But the pressure of exams was closing in. Madam Pompfrey was giving out Calming Draughts by the bucketful as students slowly cracked under the pressure. I was just about ready to crack myself; I was still dying to get to Cecily. It's been almost a year since I promised to save her, and I've done nothing.

Without the D.A. lessons, I'm sure I would have lost it already. More now than ever, I've had the feeling that the only reason I'm staying at Hogwarts instead of going after Cecily was the hours spent in the Room of Requirement, working hard, but enjoying myself at the same time, thrilled that the other members got better and better.

We had finally started work on Patronuses, which everyone had been very keen to practice, although I kept telling them it's much harder to produce it when confronted with something like a dementor instead of in the brightly lit classroom.

Everyone was doing extremely well until Dobby came with the warning. Everyone ran, spilling out every direction down the hallway. I dropped off Dobby and went to run for it.

Malfoy never looked happier as he called Umbridge over after tripping me. His whole face was glowing with excitement, the git. Umbridge grabbed me in a vice-like grip and dragged me all the way to Dumbledore's office.

The mood in his office was tense and serious. Two Aurors were there with Fudge. Professor McGonagall looked extremely tense, and stood rigidly beside a serene looking Dumbledore. I jerked out of Umbridge's grasp as the door closed.

"Well," said Cornelius Fudge, glaring at me with a kind of vicious satisfaction on his face, "well, well, well…" I replied with the dirtiest look I could muster, my heart drumming madly, but my mind was oddly cool and clear.

"He was heading for Gryffindor Tower," said Umbridge, her voice radiating pleasure. "The Malfoy boy cornered him."

"Did he, did he?" said Fudge appreciatively. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, Potter…I expect you know why you are here?"

I was fully intent on answering with a defiant "yes", but upon seeing Dumbledore's signal, I changed direction mid-word.

"Yeh-no."

Watching Fudge's blood pressure rise at telling lies as he questioned me further was enjoyable, but since they were in fact, lies, how would I get away with them? Umbridge went to get their 'informant' and after several tense minutes of waiting, she returned with Cho's friend, Marietta.

I felt extreme satisfaction when I saw her face, especially when I heard that there was no counter-jinx to be found. Marietta was too terrified of her own face to answer any questions, so Fudge plowed right ahead with how he found out about the D.A.

The rest of the meeting fell apart drastically as Dumbledore took the blame for what I had done, and he escaped. As McGonagall escorted Marietta and I to our houses, my scar seared with pain, and I felt overwhelmingly dizzy; despair was filling me up. Slightly woozy, I collapsed into a chair in front of the fire in the common-room.

Cautiously, Ron stuck his head around a curtain, checking to see who was there. He came hurrying over when he saw it was just me. "Blimey, what happened Harry? _Harry?!"_ He called as the wooziness took over…I was transported elsewhere…

CECILY POV

My whole back was searing with more pain than I had ever felt. I could feel the blood dripping off of my back. Avery had beaten me hard, harder than ever. He was angry that his information had been wrong, and that Rookwood had been right. He didn't take Voldemort's torture lightly…

I rolled painfully and slowly through my own sticky blood over to the magazine Voldemort had left me. I hid it well, buried under the torn off robes that no longer fit me.

I had been forced to tear off the sleeves and bottom, so I was now in a shapeless black sack and it was sticky with my own blood, which was pumping out of my back, despite my makeshift bandages.

With a bloody, shaking hand, I tugged the magazine toward me, and got blood all over the cover. I painfully wiped it off of Harry's face and stared at it, tears making clear streaks on my throbbing face, washing away blood.

A tear fell off my face and landed on Harry's forehead, and slowly rolled across the page and hit the bottom of the sarcophagus silently. My vision swam and began to tunnel, so I hid the magazine once more and collapsed, woozy, the pain in my back increasing past endurance…

I barely registered the lid opening. "Fools! I need her to _live_…" I heard Voldemort hiss threateningly, and the screams of a tortured Avery rang in my ears as the bright light above me began to be swallowed up by the darkness.

I felt his usual trick wake me up a bit, dousing me with water. I heard muttered curses and I felt myself being moved, then propped up. Suddenly, something was being forced down my throat; it was burning, but was replenishing me…

My head hit the table with a clunk, and pain seared through my skull. Then I was upright and another potion was racing down my throat…

"Narcissa! Get bandages and something tighter for her to wear…we need the bandages to hold!" someone shouted…

Then blissful darkness.

HARRY POV

Something hard hit my face and I jolted upright. I was still in the common room, and Ron and Hermione were watching me anxiously. My insides were swimming with anger and guilt.

I was also very afraid for Cecily. I had felt what she was feeling, and she was so very close to dying.

Anger filled me up when I remembered the last name she had heard, Narcissa. Malfoy's mother. I remembered his smirking face after the interview came out…

"Harry?" Hermione asked in a very small voice. I buried my head in my hands and after a moment, told them everything.


	13. Chapter 13

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirteen-

_Adapted from Chapters 28 and 29 of the Order of the Phoenix_

HARRY POV

I woke up exhausted. I had spent most of the night telling Ron and Hermione what I had seen, and refusing to go tell a teacher of the Order. Dumbledore was gone, and he was the only person I would tell such a thing like this to. So, feeling terrible, I barely paid attention to what I was doing until right before lunch when Malfoy stopped us between the lunchroom and Herbology. I wanted to punch his face in, my_ sister_ was being tortured in his basement and he was here laughing at me. And he could tell I knew, just by the look on my face. In the end, Ron had to hold me back as he sauntered away, laughing. I twisted quickly out of Ron's grasp. That was the last straw. I was ready to go pack my bags when Fred and George stopped to let us in on their plan to cause mayhem. Hermione convinced me to at least go to lunch, to see what the twins were going to do. And then, of course, I was called to Umbridge's office. The whole time she was trying to interrogate me, I was picturing ways to cause her bodily harm, that stupid evil-

_BOOM!_

Whatever the twins had done, it worked, and she sprinted off to find the first floor filled with escaping fireworks. By the end of the day, they had reached every inch of the castle and some were still lose inside and on the grounds. That night, as I listened to them whistling about on the grounds…I dreamed again… I had fallen right into the corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries. I was speeding towards the plain black door…_Let it open…Let it open…_It did. I was inside the circular room lined with doors…I crossed it, placed my hand upon an identical door, and it swung inward…Now I was in a long, rectangular room full of an odd, mechanical clicking. There were dancing flecks of light on the walls but I did not pause to investigate…I had to go on… There was a door at the far end…It too opened at my touch…And now I was in a dimly lit room as high and wide as a church, full of nothing but rows and rows of towering shelves, each laden with small, dusty, spun-glass spheres…Now my heart was beating fast with excitement…I knew where to go…I ran forward, but my footsteps made no noise in the enormous, deserted room…There was something in this room I wanted very, very, much…Something I wanted…or somebody else wanted…My scar was hurting…

Darkness swirled in, concealing everything. I could hear the sounds of the fireworks again, but I wasn't there…then I was crouched in the far corner of a black sarcophagus…and what lay inside had drastically changed. A pile of ripped black cloth lay under my feet, and something hard, flat and square lay underneath. I carefully moved off of them and lifted them away, trying not to think about how they were bloodstained… Underneath laid a magazine of all things. I shot a glance at Cecily. She looked alright for the moment. Curious, I turned it over, and looked into my own face. It was _The Quibbler_, the issue where I gave the interview, and anger rose in me. Of course Malfoy would send a copy home to his family…

Moving quickly but silently, I scuttled over to Cecily, and pulled back, horrified. No trace of my sister remained, instead, there was a corpse, lying in its sarcophagus, waiting to be buried. It was wearing a torn black dress, which was old and stained. Bones jutted out from it's face and hints of bones pushed at the cloth of the dress, which was tight against her too skinny body. Slowly, I leaned over and looked for injuries. She seemed to be alright, except for the glaringly obvious starvation. This confused me; where had all that blood come from? I fished under my pajamas and took off the locket, and placed it around her neck, and tucked it in, under the dress, wincing as her collar bones jutted out strongly under my fingertips.

She didn't even move, except for the slow, almost painful breathing. I don't know how long I sat there with her, until I woke up the next morning. As I got dressed, I noticed that the locket was in fact, gone. For the whole day, I tried to practice for Occlumency that night. This dream was private, something Snape could not see. Especially the dream before it with the Department of Mysteries. But it was very hard to do; the teachers were reviewing in every class for exams. And of course, on the way to the lessons, I ran into Cho, and we had a row over Marietta. I arrived to Occlumency late and irritated. Just as we were about to start, Malfoy came in, telling Snape they had found Montague in a toilet. I mentally thanked the twins for shoving him into the Vanishing Cabinet at least three weeks previous. When Snape and Malfoy were gone, and I was about to leave…I saw the shining light of Snape's Pensieve… after a moment of staring at his memories, I plunged my face in.

CECILY POV

I awoke slowly, groggy and in pain. All I could remember was Voldemort getting angry at Avery for beating me to hard-I was losing too much blood. I cursed them both silently, but stayed on my back, too exhausted to move. Why couldn't he have just let me die? He could have taken the ring for himself and lived forever, _and_ bring back his dead followers. But Voldemort must have something planned for me…

I shifted slightly and something moved under my robes. I froze, now fully awake, the pain a second feeling. I was finished with bewitched jewelry, if this was some sort of magical mumbo jumbo necklace- I was going to kill myself. Biting my lip to keep from crying out in pain, I moved my bony right arm to reach underneath my new clothes from that witch Narcissa. Feeling along my extremely prominent collar bone, I grabbed the chain in shaking fingers and pulled. In the dim light from my ring (it was getting progressively dimmer by the day) I stared at my own locket. I could feel silent tears sliding down my face as I cracked it open. No memories fell out. Harry had made it through. I hated myself. Why had I let down my guard, at a time I knew I would be vulnerable? How much had he seen? What he did was extremely dangerous, Voldemort could have gotten him, and all would have been lost. And if Voldemort was to find out he had returned and he missed him again…

But I couldn't help but feel new hope rising inside of me. This was the continuation of his promise to me. Harry would eventually come back for me, and I'd be free from here. I carefully tucked it back inside my dress, and let my exhaustion take me away…


	14. Chapter 14

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fourteen-

_Adapted from Chapter 29 of the Order of the Phoenix_

_*If you don't remember what Harry saw in Snape's Pensieve, look it up. This story is boring already; I'm not going to type out the whole thing. It's Chapter 28 in the book._

HARRY POV

After Snape threw me out of his office, Hermione wouldn't stop asking why I no longer had to take Occlumency. I gave her some shitty excuse; my mind wasn't even at Hogwarts anymore. I was thinking of other things…mostly, why I should even stay at Hogwarts for exams when I knew where Cecily was, I could possibly pull off a rescue, and then… I so badly wanted to go, but I had no plan as what to do if I actually succeeded. So I threw myself into the job-pamphlets left for the fifth-years to read during Easter break. I had mentioned in passing wanting to talk to Sirius after what I had seen in Snape's Pensieve, but there was no way I could get word to him… Until the twins mentioned that they were going to cause more mayhem…the perfect distraction to get into Umbridge's office. I needed to use her fireplace to ask about what I had seen in the Pensieve, and of course…Cecily.

So as soon as I heard the signs that the twins had succeeded, I ran to Umbridge's office, and immediately used her fire to go to Grimmauld Place. I had used Floo Powder before, but I was transporting my whole body. Just my head traveling started to make me sick, so I closed my eyes. When the spinning stopped, I cautiously opened my eyes to find that I was looking up out of the kitchen fireplace at the long, wooden table, where a man sat poring over a piece of parchment. I had arrived. "Sirius?" I asked.

The man jumped and looked around. It was not Sirius, but Lupin. "Harry!' he said, looking thoroughly shocked. "What are you-what's happened, is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I just wondered-I mean, I just fancied a- a chat with Sirius." I finished lamely. Lupin got up, looking perplexed to go and get him. After a few minutes of waiting, Lupin returned with Sirius at his heels.

"What is it?" Sirius asked urgently, sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes and dropping to the ground in front of the fire, so that we were on a level; Lupin knelt down too, looking very concerned. "Are you all right? Do you need help?" Sirius pressed.

My knees growing sore, and time ticking away, I immediately launched into what I had seen in my dreams, and what I knew about Cecily. His face immediately tightened and grew gaunt as I finished retelling all of the events. "Harry, you are supposed to be _blocking_ your mind against this kind of thing!" He said, looking pale. I stared at him.

"This is my _sister_ we are talking about! I needed to make sure she was ok, and it's obvious she's not. And I'm not taking Occlumency anymore, so it doesn't matter." I finished impatiently.

"You're NOT?" Sirius shouted, making me jump and inhale a mouthful of ashes. Spluttering, I shook my head.

"It's a bit of a relief to tell you the truth-" Lupin cut me off.

"Are you serious Harry? You are no longer taking Occlumency? How long has this been going on?" Lupin questioned. I frowned, annoyed.

"Yeah, Snape said he wouldn't teach me after what I saw in his Pensieve…" I quickly explained what I had seen my father doing. After Sirius reassured me that he grew out of being the arrogant bully I had seen, I relaxed some, one less thing on my mind.

"But Harry, you have to keep trying. Voldemort might have planted those dreams, it might be what he wanted you to see-" I shook my head impatiently.

"I know they are true, because…" I frowned. How could I explain this?

"Because?" Sirius asked, looking about ready to explode.

"Because when I wanted to dream of her I could. I just put on her locket and it sort of…happened. She's been trying to block me, she has succeeded for most of the year, but sometimes I could get through…whenever he beat her." I glared at the ground. I looked up to see both of them staring at me openmouthed.

"You've…been _going_ there?" Sirius said hoarsely. Lupin cut him off.

"Don't do it _ever, EVER_ again." He said, looking disturbed. I rolled my eyes.

"I can't, I gave the locket back to her. I don't have it anymore." They stared at me again, beyond words. I opened my mouth to say something else when I heard footsteps. "Is that Kreacher coming down the stairs?" I asked quickly.

Lupin snapped out of it first. "No, it must be someone on your end…" My heart skipped several beats.

"I better go, I don't know if you can reach Dumbledore, but let him know-" I broke off hurriedly and pulled my head out of the fire, and seized my Invisibility Cloak and put it on just in time- Filch hurried in, panting heavily. He rummaged through some drawers, found a paper and ran out again, and I was hot on his heels. After Fred and George's spectacular escape, I pulled Ron and Hermione aside and told them everything.

CECILY POV

I didn't move when the cover opened, nor when someone's wand poked my face, touching bone. "Hey…you alive little girl?" Bellatrix giggled, and poked me again. Resisting the urge to get up and smack her, I cracked an eye open, and then closed it. Her face was revolting. She laughed madly. "Oh little girl…I have some munchies for you!" she sang, and dumped more dried bread on my face. Without opening my eyes, I spoke.

"Alice and Frank aren't happy with you." I said honestly. They were on of the more friendly spirits that I could talk to. Probably because their bodies weren't dead yet. I heard Bellatrix stiffen.

'_What_ _did you say?"_ she said hoarsely. I looked her dead in the eye.

"Alice and Frank aren't happy with you; in fact…they want to hurt you. I know what you did Bellatrix, they told me." I said. She stared at me, horrified, then glared at me, and grabbed the front of my dress, and curled one of my long locks of hair around her wand, examining my hair, my face.

"_Diffindus."_ She said softly, and I could see the rage boiling below the surface as the silvery pair of scissors appeared, hanging on the edge of her wand; she dropped me, pocketed her wand, and grabbed a chunk of my long hair. **(Spells don't work on her, remember? So that's why Bellatrix is using a scissors.)** "You filthy little toad." She hissed, and began cutting, laughing the whole time. I was relieved she wasn't hitting me, but as more locks of hair fell away, I felt increasingly more vulnerable.

By the time she had finished, I was shivering. My hair had gone from below my waist to cropped closely to my head, sticking up in all directions. She was cackling now, throwing my cut off hair in the air, dancing in it. 'Don't ever speak to me again." She spat in my face, yanking on my now stubby locks. She forced my head down then, and slammed the lid shut. With now trembling hands, I felt the thin layer of hair on top of my head, and so closely beneath it, my skull.

Joints and bones creaking, I curled up on the torn robes and pulled out _The Quibbler,_ and looked at Harry's face until I fell into a restless sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifteen-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapters 30, 31_

HARRY POV

After the Quidditch Cup my head was buzzing. I had so much to think about, it almost wasn't fair. With Cecily, Grawp, Umbridge and O.W.L.S. pressing down on my head, all of them fighting for space, I was a wreck. Especially now, because with Professor McGonagall ill, I couldn't tell her about my dreams. Umbridge had finally won her power struggle for Hogwarts. "Turn over your papers," said Professor Marchbanks from the front of the hall, flicking over the giant hourglass. "You may begin…" His voice broke me from my daydream. I was in the History of Magic O.W.L., and was supposed to be working.

I stared dumbly at the first question, trying to concentrate. Slowly, torturously, I began to write my answers, often skipping questions. I started at the back of Parvati Patail's head, trying to think. I closed my eyes and buried my face in my hands, so that the glowing red of my eyelids grew dark and cool. A headache was starting to build in the back of my brain, keeping me from thinking. I opened my eyes; they stung and watered at the sight of the blazing white parchment. Slowly, I wrote down two more answers. I glanced at the hourglass, then back at the page. It didn't seem very informative or detailed, when I knew that Hermionie's notes had gone on for pages and pages…I closed my eyes again, trying to see her notes, trying to remember. _Think._ I told myself, my face in my hands, while all around me quills scratched out never-ending answers and the sand trickled through the hourglass in front…

I was walking along the cool, dark hallway of the Department of Mysteries again, walking with a firm and purposeful tread, breaking occasionally into a run, determined to reach my destination at last… The black door swung open for me as usual, and here I was in the circular room with so many doors…Straight across the stone room and through the second door…patches of dancing light on the floor and walls and that odd mechanical clicking, but I had no time to explore, I had to hurry… I jogged the last few feet to the third door and it opened like the others- Once again I was in the cathedral sized room full of shelves and glass spheres…my heart was beating very fast now…I was going to get there this time…When I reached aisle ninety seven I turned left and hurried down two rows… But there was a shape on the floor at the very end, a black shape moving across the floor like a wounded animal…My stomach contracted with fear…with excitement…A voice issued from my mouth, a high, cold voice empty of any human kindness. "Take it for me…Lift it down, now…I cannot touch it…but you can…"

The black shape shifted backwards against the short black wall blocking its way and heaved itself upright against it, raising his head. His face was bloodstained and gaunt, twisted in pain yet rigid with defiance. "You'll have to kill me." whispered Sirius. Voldemort's expression changed suddenly, twisting upward in a sick grin.

"No, I'll leave that to her…" He pointed his wand at the short wall, which wasn't a wall at all, but a sarcophagus… The lid shifted, letting in a crack of light. After a few moments, something shifted inside, and one sad, sunken hazel eye peered cautiously through the crack. The visible face around it looked like a skeleton.

The eye widened in horror. "Sirius…" Cecily croaked. She could barely speak, it came out as a hoarse gasp. Sirius froze stock still, his expression tortured. The eye vanished and a hand replaced it, bony and frail, and Cecily's trembling fingers felt their way over to Sirius's hand, the ring chattering loudly on the smooth stone. She took his hand in her bony one, and weakly squeezed it as Voldemort laughed that high, cold laugh. He lazily flicked his wand, breaking their hands apart. Her hand fell softly back inside the sarcophagus and the lid slammed shut once more.

"Lord Voldemort is waiting…_Crucio!"_ Sirius screamed in pain. Cecily started pounding on the lid.

"Sirius! SIRIUS!" Her cries mixed with his screams of pain, as somewhere, somebody yelled and fell sideways off of a hot desk and onto the cold stone floor. I hit the ground and awoke, still yelling, as the Great Hall erupted all around me.


	16. Chapter 16

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixteen-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 32_

HARRY POV

After escaping from Professor Tofty, who thought I was seriously ill, I ran to the hospital wing. I didn't care how sick Professor McGonagall was, she was from the Order. She could tell me how to contact Dumbledore, or _somebody_ who could help… I burst in through the doors, surprising Madam Pompfrey. "Potter, what do you think you're doing?" she said, putting a hand over her heart.

"I need to see Professor McGonagall…Now, it's urgent…" I gasped, my breath catching painfully in my side.

"She's not here Potter. She was transferred to St. Mungo's just this morning. Four Stunner Spells straight to the chest, at her age? It's a wonder they didn't kill her." Said Madam Pompfrey sadly.

"She's…gone?" I asked, stunned. The bell rang, and the corridor above us rang with the thousands of footsteps of students, but I stood frozen, staring at Madam Pompfrey. Fear was rising inside me. There was no one left to tell. Dumbledore had gone, Hagrid had gone, but I had always expected Professor McGonagall to be here. The two people I cared about most, Sirius and Cecily were both in danger, and I had no way to help them- I turned and strode blindly from the hospital wing and stood in the corridor, panic exploding inside me. The crowd buffeted me on all sides as my head spun with useless facts, faces...

_Ron and Hermione._ A voice said in the back of my brain, and I started running again, oblivious to the angry shouts as I shoved people out of the way. After two floors, halfway down the marble staircase, I saw Ron and Hermione hurrying toward me. "Harry!" Hermione said at once, looking very frightened. "What happened? Are you alright? Are you ill?"

"Where have you been?" Ron demanded.

"Come with me," I said quickly. "Come on, I've got to tell you something…" I quickly found an empty classroom and shut the door behind us.

"Voldemort's got Sirius."

"_What?"_

"How'd you—"

"Saw it. Just now, when I fell asleep in the exam." I said.

"But—but where? How?" Hermione asked, whose face was white.

"I dunno how," I said. "But I know exactly where. There is this room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls and they're at the end of row ninety-seven…He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever he wants from there…he's torturing him…and Cecily, she's there too, and he's going to make her kill Sirius…"

I suddenly realized my voice was shaking, as well as my knees. I moved over to a desk and sat down, trying to master myself. My dream was burning into my brain, all that I could focus on. Voldemort wanted Sirius to give him something; he was torturing him, hurting him. Cecily was still with Voldemort, having been starved and abused, and she might be forced to kill Sirius…

CECILY POV

The whole sarcophagus I was in had been moving for the past few hours. Once and a while it would be still. Sometimes, we went faster than I could tell. But now, everything was dead silent, and I sat stock still, trying to hear anything that might disclose the location. I could hear fireplaces whooshing as lots of people left this place by Floo Powder. But where was here? Strange noises that sounded like doors closing were coming from a while off, but these doors must have been huge.

After a few minutes, I figured out what I was hearing where _lifts._ Like elevators. But these were noisy and rickety. I was flabbergasted. This sounded like a public place, so what was I doing here? Voldemort would never put me in a public place, it would risk almost everything to him, unless…

I was going to the Department of Mysteries. His one back up plan from last year, when Harry escaped. But that also meant that Harry was going to be in danger…and soon.

HARRY POV

"So, how are we going to get there?" I asked after a few minutes.

"G—get there?" Ron asked finally.

"Get to the Department of Mysteries so we can save them!" I said loudly.

"But—Harry…" Ron said weakly.

"What? _ What?"_ I said. I couldn't understand why they were both gaping at me, like I was something unreasonable.

"Harry," Hermione said in a rather frightened voice. "Er…how…how did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realizing he was there?"

After a few more minutes of yelling, we attracted the attention of Ginny and Luna. Hermione convinced me to check in at Grimmauld Place, to see if Sirius was there before going to London. I was still angry though. She was acting like Cecily didn't exist. They all were.

Even if Sirius was safe, I was still going after Cecily. I had made her a promise, a promise I was intent on keeping.


	17. Chapter 17

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventeen-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapters 32, 33_

HARRY POV

We planned quickly, Hermione and I were going to break into Umbridge's office, while Ron headed off Umbridge, and Ginny and Luna were going to get students out of Umbridge's corridor. Finally, we got inside, and I immediately went over to the fire, and then to Grimmauld Place. The only one there was Kreacher. I started shouting at him; he was _laughing._ He had been in on it, all this time. Kreacher started to saunter away-

Before I could call him back, something grabbed my hair and yanked. After a dizzying moment, I was looking right into Umbridge's face. She bent my neck back, like she was going to slit my throat, her hand firmly grasping my hair. Someone took my wand. "I want to know why you are in my office." She hissed, shaking the fist currently lodged in my hair, making me stagger.

"I was—trying to get my Firebolt!" I croaked, offering the first thing I thought of. My mouth still felt ashy, and my scar was aching. I needed a plan, and fast.

"Liar." She shook my head again. "You know that your Firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons. Who were you trying to communicate with?"

"No one—" I said, trying to pull away from her. I felt several hairs part company with my scalp, and I winced.

"_Liar!_" She shouted, and threw me from her, causing me to slam into her desk. I could now see Hermione pinned against the wall by Millicent Bullstrode. My head was ringing. Malfoy was sitting on the window sill, tossing my wand in the air and catching it. He smirked. Loudly, a group of large Slytherins entered with a gagged Ron, Luna, Ginny and Neville. All of them were fighting in some way. Umbridge turned back to me. "So, who were you trying to communicate to? Dumbledore? That half-breed Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is too ill to talk to anyone…" All the Slytherins laughed, and anger swept through me.

"It's none of your business who I talk to." I snapped. She got Professor Snape for some more Veritasereum, and that's when it clicked. He was a member of the Order! I tried to communicate to him without words when he arrived, hoping he would read my mind, but he apparently didn't. His face showed no emotion as he went to leave; so I took action.

'He's got Padfoot in the place where it's hidden!" I shouted. After a moment of gloating, he brushed me off and left. My heart sank. Snape had been my last hope to get communication to the Order. Right before Umbridge was going to curse me, Hermione bought us time. She claimed that Dumbledore's 'weapon' was in the Forbidden Forest. I had no idea what her plan was, if she had one, but it was working so far. As we crashed through the undergrowth, making a LOT of noise, I got a chance to talk to her as Umbridge fell over a sapling. Hermione said she wanted us to be heard…

"How far do we have to go?" Umbridge said, catching up slowly.

"It's not far now—" Suddenly a arrow flew past me and embedded into a tree. The forest was suddenly trembling with hooves. Hermione was wearing a triumphant smile as we slowly backed into the center of the clearing, surrounded by centaurs, who had their bows loaded and pointed at us. They swiftly took Umbridge away, and just as they were about to take us too, Grawp appeared from nowhere, and reached for us, knocking over a centaur. The other centaurs fired at his hand when it was a foot away from my torso, and his blood rained down on Hermione and me as he howled, swiping at the centaurs as they retreated.

Right before Hermione and I got out of the forest, we met up with the rest of the group, who hexed their way out of Umbridge's office. After a moment of squabbling, I finally let Ginny, Luna and Neville come. Thestrals were coming out of the forest, drawn to Hermione and I from the scent of Grawp's blood on our robes. We all took a Thestral and took off for London. The flight was long and freezing but my body felt numb as I kept picturing Sirius and Cecily, over and over again…

CECILY POV

The sounds of the fireplaces and the lifts had died as I slowly woke up. I had spent most of the day asleep; I hadn't been fed for the past week. Every bone in my body jutted outward, making sleeping and shifting around difficult, I was afraid of breaking something. My ring barely glowed now, but the light wasn't nearly as important as what was inside. The spirits inside where the only company I had, they kept me alive. Their encouragement was my sanity. They told me things, things unknown to most. Things only the dead would know.

My worry increased as the minutes passed. Voldemort was plotting, and that meant Harry's life was still at stake. Which meant he would be near… I chided myself instantly. He had made a promise, but it was unlikely he could save me again, unless he had help. But even then, it was impossible. Voldemort never makes mistakes. And since we were in a public place, I could only assume that he was going to try to fully rise back to power tonight- and murder my brother.

I fell back as the lid to the sarcophagus suddenly flew off, and lights streamed in, making me wince. I peeked through my lashes upward, keeping my eyes safe against the harsh lights. Lucius Malfoy was all suited up, in full Death Eater garb, watching me. I assumed he wanted something, so I slowly opened my eyes fully, and sat up. He smirked, and anger flared in my body, but I kept my face expressionless and cool. He was holding a pile of clothes in his arms, and he dropped them in front of me. I frowned. What was going on here? "The Dark Lord wishes for you to change, on a threat of death if you refuse." He said calmly. I looked him straight in the eye, unafraid.

"I will, but understand this. I know what will happen tonight. If you lay one hand on my brother, I will kill you." He started laughing. Without answering, he shut the lid once more. That was really puzzling. Something big must be happening, or he would have said something back, hit me, _something._

I slowly changed in the cramped space. The clothes were black, as usual, but tighter than before, a set of black leggings that clung tightly to my legs and ankles, and a tighter black dress that stopped above my knees. I realized what he was doing. He was emphasizing the fact that he had starved me. That meant I would come face to face again with Harry tonight.


	18. Chapter 18

-The Graveyard, Chapter Eighteen-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 34_

HARRY POV

The long and cold ride on the Thestrals made being on the ground again like heaven on earth. After a moment of recuperation, I led everyone to the telephone booth that led into the Ministry of Magic. The floor of the telephone box shuddered and the pavement rose up past the glass windows of the box. With a dull grinding noise, we sank down into the depths of the Ministry.

A chink of soft golden light hit our feet and, widening, rose up our bodies. I bent my knees and held my wand as ready as I could in such cramped conditions, peering through the glass to see whether anybody was waiting for us in the Atrium, but it seemed to be completely empty. The light was dimmer than it had been by day. There were no fires burning under the mantelpieces in the walls, but the lift shuddered loudly to a halt, and the golden symbols continued to twist fluidly in the dark ceiling.

The doors of the telephone box burst open and I tumbled out with Neville and Luna. The only sound in the Atrium was the steady rush of water from the golden fountain, where jets from the wands of the witch and wizard, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and the house-elf's ears continued to gush into the surrounding pool. The fountain was deep in shadow, and the inhabitants of the fountain came eerily out of the gloom.

"Come on," I said quietly, and the six of us sprinted off down the hall, past the fountain, toward the desk where the security man who had weighed my wand had sat and which was now deserted.

CECILY POV

After I had changed, I had been moved again. I could tell I was still in the Atrium; I could hear the lift. But only just, water was everywhere it seemed, I could here it gushing around me on all sides. I lay on the bottom of the sarcophagus, exhausted. Being awake was exhausting; being _alive_ at this point was a bother. I was forcing my self to stay awake; Harry was going to be here. I had to help him anyway I could. After that, what did it matter?

But my eyes started to flutter downward, as the constant flow of water soothed and numbed my senses. I was floating…surrounded by food and warmth. My parents were there, and my brother. All of them were smiling, laughing. And then I saw myself, in the corner. I was a wasted body, bones poking at the thin cloth that covered them. My eyes were sunken and dark, my whole frame shaking. Then I realized it. They were laughing at me. Laughing because I didn't have the strength to even save myself-

I jerked up with a gasp, shaking. _Just a dream_, I told myself. I froze as a lift came down. But this one sounded different…more grating. I painfully rolled over and propped myself up on my elbows, ear pressed to the stone wall, listening. "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening." A cool female voice said loudly into the silence. I froze. Someone was here…

After a quiet mumble I didn't hear, I heard people running. I reached up as fast as I could and hit the top of the sarcophagus and cried out instantly in pain. Dark spots danced across my eyes at the excursion and I dropped my aching hand heavily. One of my knuckles had cracked at the impact, the bone that close to my skin, and that frail. I let my body fully collapse as I heard a lift close and take off. That must have been Harry. Who else would it be?

HARRY POV

The lift stopped smoothly, announcing we had arrived at the Department of Mysteries. I turned to the plain, black door. After months of dreaming, I was here at last… "Let's go," I whispered, and I led the way down the corridor, Luna right behind me, gazing around with her mouth slightly open. The door swung open, just like in my dream, and I marched over the threshold, the others following. We were now standing in a large, circular room. Everything in here was black including the floor and ceiling—identical, unmarked handle-less black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue, their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor so that it looked as though there was dark water underfoot.

"Someone shut the door," I muttered. I regretted saying it the moment Neville closed the door. Without the long chink of light from the torch lit hallway behind us, the place became so dark that for a moment the only things we could see were the bunches of shivering blue flames on the walls and their ghostly reflections in the floor below.

In my dream, I had always walked purposefully across this the room to the door immediately opposite the entrance and walked on. But there were around a dozen doors here. Just as I was gazing around ahead at the doors opposite me, trying to decide which was the right one, there was a great rumbling noise and the candles began to move sideways. The circular room was rotating. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped, and everything became stationary once again. "What was that about?" Ron whispered fearfully. I blinked several times. My eyes had blue streaks burned into them from the candles spinning, it was all I could see.

"I think it was to stop us from knowing what door we came in from." Said Ginny in a hushed voice.

_To be continued…_


	19. Chapter 19

-The Graveyard, Chapter Nineteen-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapters 34, 35_

CECILY POV

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to get up, and push on the lid. After the first try, I gave up. There was no way I would get the lid open, even if it wasn't charmed shut. I collapsed again, hating my weakness. My dreams had been right. I was too weak to save myself, and he had been right there. _Don't give up._ A part of my brain said firmly. I frowned at the wall, and tried to think. There wasn't much I could do. I could only fall asleep and have terrible dreams…_dream!_ The only way I had ever been able to talk to Harry. I did have the locket after all…

I slowly closed my eyes, and felt for some sort of connection to Harry. Maybe if _I_ fell asleep, I could dream about _him…_ My tired body decided to give it a shot, and I drifted quickly off to sleep, clutching _The Quibbler _too_,_ trying to get a connection…

Slowly, after some dark revolutions, I found myself standing behind a group of people. I recognized the back of Harry's head at the front, so I strode up next to him, determined to make him leave, and stopped. They were standing in front of the arch. Before I could do anything, tons of souls and spirits flowed out silently and zoomed into my ring. I felt their power building up as more came from death and lived strongly inside.

Almost immediately, my frame stopped shaking, and that constant burn in my stomach dimmed. I faintly recognized Harry's group moving on as two presences flowed through me and wrapped around me.

I instantly recognized my mother and father's spirits, guiding me, strengthening me. I quickly set off after Harry, back into the spinning room, and then through another room. I froze as they moved into the Prophecy Room. It all made sense as I took in the room. Voldemort had been talking of a prophecy for months, some special message that he desperately needed…"Get out of here!" I shouted in Harry's face, but he couldn't hear me. I didn't have enough power to be visible. I ran ahead, and stood spread eagle in front of his prophecy, trying to stop him before he got here. I couldn't touch it, but maybe I could stop him. This was where Voldemort wanted him, and it would only be a matter of time before the Death Eaters appeared.

Harry stared around, looking for something, but what? What had Voldemort showed him? Harry looked ill, his face was pale, his fist was clenched around his wand, and he looked panicked. He hadn't seen the prophecy yet, but a tall, red haired boy looked right through me and saw it. I used some of the spirits power to try to silence him, but I didn't have enough, I was too weak.

"It's—it's got your name on." He said, looking confused as to why his speech stopped for a second. I glared at him, but stayed where I was. He had to realize I was here, if he was searching for me…right? What else could Voldemort have shown him?

"My name?" Harry said blankly, and advanced. I cried out in despair. I could sense the Death Eaters, they were waiting for him to take it…suddenly, everything fell into place. I understood what Voldemort was trying to do. Once he had the prophecy, he'd kill Harry, the one he marked as his equal, there was no need for me, that's why I was in the Atrium…

"Don't touch it!" I shouted in his face, my nose almost touching his. He had his head craned up, reading the inscription through my neck. Panic flashed down my spine as he slowly raised his hand.

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it." A pretty girl with big brown hair said sharply.

"Yes, don't touch it! Don't even look at it! Get out!" I yelled in his face. I swore. I could feel the sarcophagus underneath me; I was running out of power. Not that I was doing much good being with Harry anyway. But I couldn't bare to leave, not now, not when he was in so much danger-

"Why not? It's something to do with me, isn't it?" Harry reasoned, looking at the prophecy with a strange look on his face. I slapped him, my hand going right through his face, having no effect whatsoever. Frustrated, I dug under my dress and took off the locket as a plump boy said, "Don't Harry." I floated down to his height.

"Listen to him." I begged in his ear as I put it around his neck. It shimmered, ghostly. I would have to leave for it to solidify, for him to know. But I didn't want to leave him alone. He looked bad, very pale. His face was no longer so innocent from last year, or the magazine cover. It was filled with desperation.

"It's got my name on." He said, still gazing at it, and picked it up.

"No! Put it back!" I shouted as I heard the Death Eaters closing in.

"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me." Lucius Malfoy drawled. I immediately moved in front of Harry and his group as the Death Eaters closed in. As Bellatrix stepped up and unmasked herself, I ripped out some of her hair. Hair for hair. She'd feel it later.

The whole room flickered as I lost more energy. I needed to lure Harry back to the Atrium… I turned around and took the locket off him again, and withdrew the memory of the sounds of the Atrium, and put it inside, including the memory of his group's arrival.

All he had to do was open it…I placed it back around his neck as they started to plan. I couldn't help but grin as they darted through the falling shelves, spheres falling and exploding everywhere. I floated through the door Harry ran through as the brown haired girl sealed it. _Without_ the rest of her group. I followed them, through all the rooms, until they were trying to hide in a small dark office.

Harry took out one Death Eater, but I recognized Dolohov as he raised his wand. Cursing, I threw myself in front of-Hermione I think that's what her name was—right before his spell hit her head on. Even if he couldn't talk, it would have killed her instantly.

The spell passed through me, but was weakened, the brunt of it hitting me, and forcing me back to the sarcophagus, where I lay, gasping. I hope he would get to the Atrium in time…

HARRY POV

After I cursed Dolohov, I felt something heavy on my chest as I knelt by Hermione. Curious, I looked down my robes as Neville felt for a pulse. "That's a pulse Harry, I'm sure it is…" Neville said, as I stared down my robes, frozen. Against my t-shirt and around my neck was Cecily's locket. She had been with me this whole time; she was here. Neville was watching me apprehensively as I brought the locket to the front and quickly opened it. Instantaneously, I was in a memory that wasn't mine, but Cecily's.

The first thing I noticed was how bad she looked. Her body had wasted away, her snow white skin straining to keep her bones inside. Anger flew up my spine, and somewhere, back in reality, I could feel Neville's sweaty hang guiding me somewhere…

I snapped back into the memory as I heard a grating noise over the continuous rush of water. Where was there water here? My blood stopped as I heard the cool, female voice say, "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening." She had been so CLOSE. She quickly shifted positions quickly, and judging by her face, painfully as she pressed her ear against the wall. I heard the quiet mumble that was mine, then the groups footsteps as we raced right past her and to the lift…

I snapped out of it. Ron was giggling on the floor, Ginny was panting and holding her ankle, and Luna seemed unhurt. Luna and Neville were staring at me, looking scared.

"Harry, are you alright?" Luna asked, watching my face closely. I must have looked horrified, and I was. I had run right past her, I had been so close…

_To be continued…_


	20. Chapter 20

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 35_

HARRY POV

I tried to snap out of it. She was still here, I could still get to her. "We have to get out of here," I said firmly, trying not to panic. "Luna, can you help Ginny?" I quickly slung my arm over Ron's shoulder and heaved him over to a door, when across the hall, another door burst open, and three Death Eaters came in, led by Bellatrix Lestrange. Strangely, she had a chunk of hair missing.

"_There they are!"_ she shrieked. Stunning Spells shot across the room; I smashed my way through the door ahead, flung Ron unceremoniously in and turned back to help Neville with Hermione. We all got over the threshold just in time to slam the door against Bellatrix.

"_Collopourtus!"_ I shouted, and the door sealed it self with a squishing noise, just as three bodies slammed into the door on the other side. I whirled around. We were back in the Brain Room, and sure enough, there were doors all around the walls. I could hear footsteps in the hall behind us as more Death Eaters came running. "Luna—Neville—Help me!" The three of us tore around the room, sealing doors as we went: I crashed into a table and rolled over the top of it in my haste to get to the next door. As I got to the top of the room, I heard Luna cry out. I turned in time to see her body flying across the room.

Five Death Eaters were surging through the door Luna hadn't had the time to reach: She hit a desk, slid over its surface to onto the other side and lay sprawled as still as Hermione.

"Get Potter!" Bellatrix shrieked, and she ran at me. I dodged her and sprinted back up the room; I was safe as long as they thought they might hit the prophecy— The whole scene stopped as Ron summoned a brain from the tank, giggling. I tried to sever the tendrils of the brain that were wrapping themselves around Ron, but they didn't break. Neville and I backed up slowly as the Death Eaters advanced. It was two against five. To protect the others, I ran out the door that the Death Eaters had come from, holding the prophecy high.

It worked, the Death Eaters pelted after me. Suddenly, the ground disappeared from my feet, and I fell down a steep set of stone stairs, crashing to a halt at the bottom, the air forced from my lungs. I was back in the room with the archway. The Death Eaters moved smoothly down the steps, forcing me up onto the dais where the archway stood. Cecily's locket felt like a weight pressing on my chest. I had failed her, the Death Eaters would kill me, and she would be a prisoner forever.

Neville burst into the room, trying to Stun the Death Eaters, but it wasn't working. Bellatrix recognized him, and started to torture him, like she had to his parents.

Right as I was about to give the prophecy to Lucius Malfoy, two doors burst open at the top of the room, and five people streamed in, Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kinglsey. Relieved that Sirius was alright, I ducked out of the way as spells rained down on the confused Death Eaters. I helped Neville up and we ran for it, trying to get the others and get out when the sphere smashed.

Then, out of nowhere, Dumbledore arrived, and quickly started capturing Death Eaters. The only one not incarcerated was Bellatrix, who was fighting Sirius. Sirius was laughing as he ducked one of her spells. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the room.

The second jet of light hit him square in the chest.

The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

I released Neville without thinking, pulling out my wand and ran down the steps again, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too. It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arch as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch… And I saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on my godfathers wasted, once handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.

CECILY POV

The spell I had deflected from Hermione was taking its toll on me, already weakened and starved as I was. The energy it took from me was devastating, although it did no physical damage. My breath was coming in shuddering gasps as I fought to stay conscious. I was saving the spirits power for when it mattered most, I would not use it on myself…

I froze as I felt a soul I had been following for so long become a spirit…the identity ringing through my head like a bell, settling around me like my parents spirits.

"Sirius-" I choked. I felt him join my parents spirits around me, like another warm blanket around my bony and frail shoulders. Tears started streaming down my face, and I slumped against the side of the sarcophagus. I wanted to bring him back, this very instant. But I couldn't, I wasn't strong enough. I made my family's spirits a promise right then and there, though.

"I will bring you all back; let you live the life that was taken from you, no matter how long it takes." I whispered my promise and leaned against the sarcophagus wall, fatigued.


	21. Chapter 21

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty One-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36_

HARRY POV

Lupin held me back and then moved me back to the steps. I was in utter disbelief. Sirius couldn't be gone… The room was silent except for the flashes of light from the other side of the dais, Kinglsey had taken on Sirius's fight, and was dueling Bellatrix. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a yell from behind the dais.

I saw Kingsley, yelling in pain, hit the ground. Bellatrix Lestrange turned tail and ran as Dumbledore whipped around. He aimed a spell at her but she deflected it. She was halfway up the steps now— "Harry—no!" cried Lupin, but I had already ripped my arm from his slackened grip.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" I bellowed. "SHE KILLED HIM—I'LL KILL HER!" And I was off, scrambling up the stone benches and steps. People were shouting behind me, but I didn't care. The hem of Bellatrix's robes whipped out of sight ahead and they were back in the room where the brains were swimming… She aimed a curse over her shoulder. The tank rose into the air and tipped. I was deluged in a foul smelling potion within. The brains slipped and slid over me and began spinning their long, colored tentacles, but I shouted, "_Wingardium Leviosa_!" and they flew into the air away from me.

Slipping and sliding, I ran on toward the door. I leapt over Luna, who was groaning on the floor, past Ginny, who said, "Harry—what-?" past Ron who giggled feebly and Hermione, who was still unconscious. I wrenched open the door into the circular black hall and saw Bellatrix disappearing through a door on the other side of the room—beyond her was the corridor that led to the lifts.

I ran, but the door slammed shut behind her and the walls began to rotate again. Once more I was surrounded by streaks of blue light from the whirling candelabra. "Where's the exit?" I shouted desperately, as the wall rumbled to a halt again, "Where's the way out?" The room seemed to have been waiting for me to ask. The door right behind me flew open, and the corridor toward the lifts stretched ahead of me, torch-lit and empty. I ran… I could hear the lift clattering ahead of me, I sprinted up the passageway, swung around the corner, and slammed my fist onto the button to call a second lift. It jangled and banged lower and lower; the grilles slid open and I dashed inside, now hammering the button marked Atrium. Where else would Bellatrix go? She knew where Cecily was…

I forced my way out of the lift before the grilles were fully open and looked around. Bellatrix was almost at the telephone lift at the other end of the hall, but she looked back as I sprinted towards her, and aimed another spell at me. I dodged behind the Fountain of Magical Brethren and could clearly see the small black sarcophagus neatly placed around the figures, keeping it from view. She stopped running, so I crouched behind the statue, listening. "_Come out, come out, little Harry!"_ She called in her mock-baby voice, which echoed off the polished wooden floors. "What did you come after me for, then? I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin!"

"I am!" I shouted, and it echoed around the room.

"Aaah…did you love him, little baby Potter?"

Hatred rose in me such as I had never known before. I flung myself out from behind the fountain and bellowed, "_Crucio!" _ Bellatrix screamed. The spell had knocked her off her feet, but she did not writhe and shriek with pain as Neville had—she was already on her feet again, breathless, no longer laughing. I dodged behind the fountain again—her counter spell hit the head of the handsome wizard, which was blown off and landed twenty feet away, gouging long scratches into the wooden floor.

CECILY POV

I barely registered two sets of footsteps sprinting in the Atrium. It was probably two Death Eaters ready to transport me back to Voldemort. They had not killed Harry though, which puzzled me; his soul had not turned into a spirit yet… The water pounded over the words of a female I recognized instantly as Bellatrix. Hatred rose in me, but I stayed limp on the floor of the sarcophagus, waiting for the movement that signaled we had left the Minsitry. It didn't come.

"I am!" a _very_ familiar voice shouted very close to me. Oh no, Harry was _here!_ Bellatrix had led him here, and she had probably already called for Voldemort— I gasped with pain and quickly got up and crouched, ready to stand up when the lid was moved. I could barely hear the continued conversation between Harry and Bellatrix, but I had to distract him. He had to know that this was all a trap-

I moved to the sound of his voice, into a corner. "Harry?" I said quietly. The water continued to pour down, and there was no response, except for several spells deflecting.

I was relieved to hear that the prophecy had smashed. Voldemort was thwarted again. "Harry!" I said louder, trying to get some volume in my dry throat. My voice was hoarse and dry from lack of water, which was ironic, as the water continued to thunder down.

I pressed my cheek against the stone, trying to hear. "Don't waste your breath!" Harry yelled. "He can't hear you from here!"

"HARRY!" I cried uselessly, knowing that he had just sealed his fate. Silence. And then—

"Can't I, Potter?" said a high, cold voice. Fear laced instantly through my veins, turning them to ice. There was nothing I could do this time, nothing left, no tricks to save Harry and myself-

"No…" I whispered almost silently. No matter what Harry and I tried, we hadn't done a single difference, and now this was the end. I heard a muffled conversation, Voldemort's high voice barely cutting through the water. "Harry?" I called, trying to get a response. Then, quite suddenly I heard it.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ Voldemort shrieked.

I screamed and pressed my back against the lid, trying to lift it. Tears were falling down my face, catching in the unnatural hollows. He had killed him—silence reigned as I slumped to the floor. He had died for nothing, a wasted body and a cursed ring. It was my fault that Harry had died- it was all my fault. I heard Bellatrix screaming, but Voldemort was probably only punishing her for letting the prophecy smash…I heard movement as some of the water disappeared. Perfect, a new location. Was I back in the Malfoy residence, trapped in the basement? I heard muffled noises, it sounded like a fight. What was happening?

Then, I was crying with happiness. I heard Harry yell, _"Look out!_" That was enough for me. Somehow, miraculously, he was alive. I could still save him. So I summoned all the spirits I currently had, and took action.

_To be continued…_


	22. Chapter 22

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Two-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36_

HARRY POV

As Dumbledore wrapped Voldemort in all the water from the fountain, the sarcophagus -where I had heard her voice, Cecily's voice—turned white, and started to tremble. With a thunderous bang, it exploded. As the pieces started to group together, a skeleton stood shakily upward in the center of the dry fountain. The skeleton raised its left hand, pointing its pointer finger upward, its tight black clothing flapping as a huge powerful wind started to whip around it, and a crackling light blue bolt exploded and wrapped around the jagged shards of the sarcophagus.

She suddenly turned and flung them toward the mass of water, where Voldemort lay inside, imprisoned. The water crashed to the floor just before the shards embedded in the wall, quivering ominously. The skeleton turned slowly, shaking, and its sunken eyes met mine. They were the same hazel, almond shaped orbs I had seen a year ago, but they were sunken and dark.

They lacked any sort of life or happiness.

Cecily stepped out of the fountain as Bellatrix screamed, "MASTER!" Cecily rested briefly, her clothing jutting upwards in all the wrong places as her bones pushed against it. She shuddered, and fell softly in a crumpled little ball, her knuckles turning white as she grasped the low wall around the fountain, trying to stand. Her bony hands slipped off and she fell limply over and laid still. I made to run out from around my guard, but Dumbledore bellowed, "Stay where you are, Harry!" For the first time, Dumbledore sounded frightened. I could not see why. The hall was quite empty but for him and I, the sobbing Bellatrix still trapped under her statue, the tiny Fawkes croaking feebly on the floor, and the almost motionless Cecily by the fountain—

And then my scar burst open. I knew I was dead; it was pain beyond imagining, past endurance—

I was gone from the hall, I was locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes, so tightly bound that I did not know where my body ended and the creature began. We were fused together, bound by pain, and there was no escape…

CECILY POV

I heard the quick footsteps of Dumbledore, the wizard I had been told to hate, darting over to Harry. He lay soundlessly, flat on his back, his lips moving to words unspoken. My locket lay on his chest, sparkling in the dim light. Gasping in pain, I forced myself to stand and limp over. My escape had cost me dearly, and I could feel the tides had turned in my ring. It waited for _my_ death, not other spirits. But if I was going to die, but I was going to die with purpose.

I grabbed Dumbledore's shoulder for support as my knees gave out, making him flinch in surprise. My hand slipped off and I fell on my hands and knees before he could catch me. My hands shaking, I took the locket in my left hand, and dove deep into Harry's soul, closing my eyes, and immediately encountered Voldemort. I simply pointed a finger at him and called upon my anger to form a harsh bolt of death, one that in my state would only force Voldemort out, not kill him. He turned, and it caught him right in the chest.

With a screech that echoed loudly in my head, he vanished. I collapsed, spent, as I heard the pop of a wizard Disapparating. Then the darkness came in like a fog, and there was no fighting it. It numbed everything…

HARRY POV

The first thing I heard was voices echoing around the hall. The pain had abruptly vanished, screaming like a banshee. I felt a soft weight draped across my torso, so I forced my eyes open. My glasses were gone, but the small black shape resting against me was instantly recognizable. A blurry Dumbledore came into view as I struggled to a sitting position, my whole body trembling. The force of my movement rolled Cecily down halfway into my lap, her skull-like face too still and sunken. Dumbledore silently handed me my glasses, and I shakily put them on, and could have cried out with relief to see Cecily breathing. She was alive, for now.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes—Yeah, I'm-where's Voldemort, where-who are all these—what's" My locked elbows gave out and a slender hand caught my back before my head cracked against the floor. He cautiously sat me up again, and I could see the Atrium was full of people. He gently picked Cecily up in his arms as I saw Med-Wizards hurry through the crowd with a stretcher.

"I saw him!" A scarlet-robed man with a ponytail shouted as he pointed to a pile of golden rubble. "I saw him, Mr. Fudge, I swear, it was You-Know-Who, he grabbed a woman and Disapparated!" Dumbledore gently set Cecily on the stretcher, and said some words to one of the Med-Wizards, who nodded and be-witched the stretcher to float beside him as they dashed off.

"Wait…" I said uselessly, they were already gone. Dumbledore strode back over and helped me to my feet. He spoke smoothly to Fudge, but I wasn't listening. I was looking in the direction Cecily had been taken. Where were they taking her? Would she be alright?

Dumbledore approached me again, with a statue head. "I will see you in half-and-hour. Take the Portkey, Harry." I silently placed my hand on it as Dumbledore counted, "One…Two…Three—"

I felt the familiar sensation of a hook being jerked somewhere behind my navel. The polished wood floor of the Atrium vanished beneath my feet; the world blurred and I was flying forward in a whirlwind of color and sound…


	23. Chapter 23

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Three-

_Adapted from the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37, 38_

HARRY POV

I was drained. Physically exhausted. I must have shouted at Dumbledore for an hour. Then, he must have talked and explained for hours after that. I had a lot of questions, and he answered all of them, _finally_. When the conversation turned to Cecily, Dumbledore looked so angry, I was scared for a second. I shared his anger, killing Voldemort had a reason now. He had been responsible for killing almost all of my family, and torturing my _sister._

"Where is Cecily?" I asked, after we had sat in silence as our anger faded. Dumbledore sighed.

"She was instantly transported to St. Mungo's, as was Nymphadora Tonks. But none of your other friends are worse for wear. They are all down in the hospital wing."

"When can I see them?" I asked after a quick minute of processing. If Cecily had to go to St. Mungo's instead of the Hospital Wing, I knew she had been severely injured; if Madam Pompfrey couldn't cure it, it was bad.

"You're friends, anytime you wish. Cecily, however, is still being healed by the Healers at St. Mungo's. They will contact me when she is fit for visitors, and then I will contact you." He smiled tiredly, and rubbed his face. I had forgotten that just last night he had dueled with Voldemort.

"I think I will go and see my friends." I said quietly, and made my way to the Hospital Wing, trying to ignore the looks from other students. Hermione read aloud the Daily Prophet article from her bed as we all sat around. Ron and Hermione were in beds, but the rest of the group was completely fine.

"So, Harry…um, have you heard anything about Cecily?" Hermione asked hesitantly. I stiffened, the usual reflex, but forced myself to relax. She was safe.

"She's in St. Mungo's, Dumbledore is supposed to get me when they are done stabilizing her and stuff." I forced out. Ron frowned, confused.

"Why is she at St. Mungo's?" He asked, and hastily rearranged his face at my glare. Then I realized none of them had even _seen_ her before, they had no idea what Voldemort had been doing…

"He was beating and starving her." Dumbledore's voice rang coolly from the doorway, and I flinched. While everyone else just exchanged horrified and angry glances. I quickly stood up, avoiding anyone's gaze and walked down the wing towards Dumbledore.

"Can I see her now?" I asked. My voice sounded weird, different. He scrutinized me for a second, then nodded. My breath came out in a whoosh; I didn't realize I had been holding it. "When can I leave?" I asked. He frowned.

"Understandable…I will escort you there, and then some members of the Order will be with you."

"So we can leave now then?" I asked, and he nodded, and held out his arm, and I looked at him, confused.

"Sir, you can't Apparate in the grounds." Hermione said before I could. He winked at her, and moved his arm closer to mine. I put my hand on his arm, and we vanished with a pop, and reappeared outside the entrance to St. Mungo's. Last time I was here, I was afraid that Voldemort had possessed me. How wrong I was…Dumbledore got me quickly past the gawking people and stares, and instead of taking a lift to a higher floor, led me straight into a secluded medical ward, where Lupin and Mad-Eye were waiting. They perked up at the sight of me, and I immediately felt sadness for Sirius.

"Now Harry, they wanted to tell you the preliminary medical report themselves, but we decided against it, well, because—" Lupin threw Dumbledore a meaningful look.

"Because?" I asked, extremely worried. I could only imagine what he could have done to her, despite what he had already done…poison, any torture I hadn't seen in my dreams…

"Because it is graphic Harry, no matter how you slice it." Moody growled. Anger flashed through me, raising my temperature. I took a deep breath.

"Tell me." I said, but Dumbledore was already shaking his head.

"Later, when Cecily is awake. Until then, be there when she does awaken. She has been through a horrific ordeal, and is probably very confused. Your presence will comfort her." I considered arguing, but decided it was useless. I quietly turned and opened the plain white door. The room was warm and slightly stuffy. It was dim, but not dark. Everything inside was a shade of white; a medical, clean white. A long line of potions was placed along a nightstand, and the only movement in the room was the shuddering rise and fall of Cecily's blankets.

I hesitated, but then Moody shut the door behind me. I silently made my way over, unsure about what to expect. I stopped at the edge of the bed and couldn't help but gasp. All of her hair had been roughly chopped to her head, a stark contrast to the Cecily I had seen last year. Her face was slightly less sunken, but it was still bony and gaunt. An innumerable amount of blankets were piled over her, so I couldn't see the horribly bony and twisted body from a few hours ago. I slowly sat down in shock, still watching her. She was frowning in her sleep.

I examined the potions on the stand, but none of them had labels. Behind them, was her locket, and neatly folded, her old clothes. I fingered the locket in my hand, going over the antique pattern with my thumb. Curious, I opened it. The memory had vanished after I had viewed it in the Department of Mysteries, but I had never seen the locket empty, I had never opened it for some reason. Inside was a very old and faded photograph of our parents, smiling. On the other side, folded up, was my face from the Quibbler. Anger and sadness flashed through me again, and I had the strong urge to hit something.

She should have never had to resort to ripping my picture from a magazine. Who lived like that? I noticed Cecily had stiffened, and one sunken, sad eye barely cracked open, looking for enemies. I wanted to scream. "Cecily." I said hoarsely, trying to lock down my emotions. I still couldn't believe I had a sister. It seemed utterly impossible. She flinched, and slowly looked over to me. Her mouth opened in a tiny 'o', and tears started to fall silently from her eyes and over her beautiful yet sunken face. "Don't cry, you're safe." I said, angrily wiping at my own eyes with my sleeve. She struggled to sit up, but she stopped, seeing the look on my face.

"What happened, Harry? I thought I was going to die—" the still panicked look on her face made me shake my head fiercely.

'Never," I swore angrily, and she frowned.

"Don't be angry. People die all the time, I would know." She said, a ghost of a smile shining through the deathly pallor on her face. I swiftly came back over and gently lifted her up. It was too easy, her lack of weight was shocking. I hugged her through all the blankets, and I felt her tears on my neck.

"You were taken to St. Mungo's, where you are now." I explained, sitting back, but pulling my chair up closer. She frowned.

"What is St. Mungo's?" She asked. I had to remind myself that she had not lived a normal wizarding life, she knew nothing about the culture…

"It's the wizarding hospital. How do you feel?" I rapidly changed the subject. She didn't need to realize all she had missed just yet. She winced as she settled deeper into the fluffy pillows and blankets, causing me to wince too.

"Well, considering this is my first bed in 17 years, I'm pretty comfortable." She said. I never knew she had such a sense of humor. A pang of sadness whipped through me as I realized this girl was my sister, and I didn't even know her.


	24. Chapter 24

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Four-

_Adapted from nothing this time!_

CECILY POV

I frowned at the look on his face. "What's the matter?" I asked quietly. He frowned deeper.

"I don't even know you, and we are related. It shouldn't have been this way." We both frowned into the silence.

"Harry, you were _one._" I emphasized. He muttered something I couldn't hear and rubbed his face. I decided to let it go. Choose your battles, I guess. And I didn't really feel like I could handle much of anything. My whole body was throbbing with pain and my stomach felt bloated. I couldn't help but think back to a few hours ago…something big had happened, but I couldn't remember…

The spirits from the archway…my parents were there…then someone joined them…

I gasped as I remembered, the memory suddenly slamming into place. Sirius was _dead._ He had died in the Department of Mysteries. Harry jumped about a foot in the air. "What, what?" He asked, panicking instantly. I ignored him and winced as I forced my left hand out of the warmth of my blankets and into the light, where I could see it. Were my parents and Sirius still there?

"Sirius…" I choked, and closed my bony hand into a fist, my thin arm shivering in the cold air. He was still there, holding on, like my parents. Harry froze, staring at me. Shivering, I quickly wiped away more tears. I felt his warm spirit weight thrumming in my ring, in the top right corner. "I made you a promise, didn't I?" I murmured, unflexing my tight fist. I took a deep breath, and the door burst open, making me scream, I couldn't help it.

Dumbledore stood in the doorway, his expression a tad angry. He strode across the room, up to my bedside. Reflexively, I ducked. I heard a sharp intake of breath from next to me, and then a gentle hand on one of my shaking arms, making me flinch. Cautiously, I peeked. Dumbledore looked strange, an emotion I hadn't seen before all over his face. His eyes, a strange blue, were burning in their sockets. Suddenly feeling foolish, I dropped my arms, flushing. Why did I think he would hurt me?

"I'm sorry for scaring you." Dumbledore said finally. Harry looked furious, I couldn't imagine why though. Dumbledore frowned at me as I flexed my left hand into a fist again. "You can't do that, don't even think about it yet. That's why I came in so suddenly." I squeezed my fist tight until my shockingly pale arm vibrated. I had made them a promise, and I was free now, I could bring them back.

"You can't stop me from doing it." I said quietly, but unclenched my fist, exhausted. I didn't want to accept that I couldn't do it now.

"That may be true, but in your current condition, I would do everything in my power to stop you." Harry looked more confused then I had ever seen him, looking from Dumbledore to me, trying to understand our exchange.

"What were you going to do?" He asked as I slipped my arms back inside the blankets, relishing the warmth.

"I was going to bring Mum and Dad back…Sirius too." I whispered, tears starting to spill over again. I furiously wiped them away, trying to lock my emotions down, like I had always done. It had kept me safe. But lately, I had been too emotional, too weak. It had gotten me in all sorts of trouble. I had to be strong now, even if my body wasn't. "But I can't right now, I'm not strong enough." I finished almost silently.

Dead silence fell, and remained unbroken for a long time. I started to get sleepy, against my better judgment. My body had started to hurt more; making me want to numb the pain with sleep. Dumbledore seemed to sense this, and strode to the door, poked his head out, and spoke to someone. Two men entered after him, one I recognized instantly as Mad-Eye Moody. "Cecily, these two kind men will be guarding your door for awhile, until more members of the Order can arrive." Dumbledore said, and I smiled weakly at the two. What was the Order?

"The Order is a group of Aurors against Voldemort." Harry supplied, seeing my confusion. Well, now Mad-Eye made sense. His magical eye fixed on my face, making me nervous. He didn't have the friendliest visage in the world, with grizzly hair, a face with chunks missing, and his hunched frame.

"I believe introductions are in order…Cecily, meet Mad-Eye Moody and Remus Lupin." Dumbledore said. I panicked inside. What was I supposed to do? The Death Eaters had always kissed Voldemort's robes, and I had always bowed to him, but I knew that wasn't right. As I tried to think, I realized that Mad-Eye Moody seemed very familiar.

"I remember you from somewhere…" I said to Mad-Eye, trying to remember. I had seen him with Death Eaters, but he hadn't been killing them. My suspicions rose instantly, did Dumbledore know he was a double agent? If he would be guarding my room, would he finish Harry and I for Voldemort?

Mad-Eye literally growled, making me tense. "I'm sure you remember my impersonator. I was a prisoner for awhile; he used Polyjuice Potion to take my physical appearance." He said in his rough voice. I felt relief as it made sense. One of my jobs was to make a big batch for some reason, almost a year ago. It made sense now, Voldemort's plan finally resonated with me…

"It's nice to meet you, Cecily." Lupin said quietly. Lupin looked young, but his hair was lightly streaked with grey, and his clothing was patched and frayed. His face was starting to wrinkle from stress. I tucked the phrase away into my memory. When meeting someone, tell them it was nice meeting them. Got it. I could do this, I _wanted_ to do this.

"You too." I said, trying to force back a yawn. It didn't work, it sounded like I was suddenly trying to lower my voice. I opened my mouth to apologize and instead yawned again. "Sorry!" I said quickly, frightened. Yawning was a sign of weakness, if I yawned while I worked, I had to work harder. Yawning always earned me a punishment. Harry opened his mouth, looking confused, but the door opened again, interrupting him. A plump woman came strolling in, wearing all white, like the room. She smiled warmly at me. I stared back in shock. Nobody had smiled at me that nicely before. It was unnerving.

"I'm your Healer darling, it's time to take some medication…" Lupin, Moody and Dumbledore slipped out, taking Harry with them. Our eyes locked briefly for a second before the door swung shut. I felt some slight anxiety as I was left alone, but the woman _seemed_ nice enough… "Are you hungry dear?" She asked as she waved her wand, making me flinch, creating several glass tumblers, which she directed to the nightstand. I put a hand on my sunken stomach, feeling my ribs jut strongly under my fingertips.

"Hungry?" I asked, so confused. I had never been _asked_ if I was hungry. She looked at me strangely, but then her face softened.

"When you're hungry, you just ask. Here, take this." She handed me one of the five glasses she had made. I took it slowly, my mind reeling.

"Ask? For food?" I asked, horrified. Did she want to see me get hurt? Then I mentally slapped myself after seeing the look on her face. Of course I wouldn't get beaten if I asked for food. This was a hospital. "Sorry…what is this?" I asked quickly, trying not to remember the last time I asked a question. Asking questions had always earned me a punishment. She shook her head, as if to clear it.

"It's a potion to help get back your strength." She asked, her voice wavering. I looked up from the glass in surprise, to see the woman dabbing at her eyes. Did I make her sad?

"Drink up, drink up!" She insisted, turning back to the nightstand. I silently drank all the potions she gave me, trying to think about why she had started crying. But the last potion made my head spin, so I rolled carefully onto my side, and fell instantly asleep.

HARRY POV

I paced in tight little circles while Cecily slept. I had been moved to a small waiting room down the hall, but I was still anxious for her safety. I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone, not after all that had happened to her. It was my job, my _duty,_ to protect my sister now that I could.

Dumbledore came over and sat down, his one hand holding some parchment so tightly, it was crinkling. I looked up to see his eyes were furious again. He silently handed the papers to me without having to be asked. It was Cecily's health report. My anger spiked sharply as I read the detailed information about the scarring on her back from the beatings and the obvious 'practiced' starvation, the process of feeding someone strategically to just keep them alive...

I started the smaller note on the bottom and all of my muscles locked down as I stared at the last few words on the page.

_There is evidence on the patient that consists with rape._

My eyes flashed to the date. It was from 4 _hours_ ago, and Dumbledore didn't tell me. Rage filled me up, like the time I had blown up Aunt Marge, and I accidentally ripped the page in half, as I bolted to my feet.

"YOU KNEW. _YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING?"_ I roared in Dumbledore's face.

CECILY POV

After what seemed like a warm, soft eternity, I heard voices, shouting. My fingers started to shake, and I forced my eyes open and sat up, expecting the cold darkness from my prison. Instead, I was in the dim hospital room. The voices were getting closer, and they were angry. "Harry?" I whispered softly, trying to seal away my fear. Nothing in the room stirred, except the shadows, which seemed to lengthen and swirl, looking like Apparating Death Eaters…

"Harry?" I called as the voices drew alarmingly close. I listened fearfully.

"She was _WHAT?"_ I heard an extremely angry voice bellow, and footsteps running towards my door. I slowly brought my left hand out from underneath the blankets, ready to use the ring as a weapon if necessary. I nervously watched the shadows. The room itself seemed to be coming alive.

"Calm yourself dear boy, you don't want to scare her-" A familiar voice said quickly. The angry voice cut him off.

'YOU KEPT _THAT_ FROM ME?" The footsteps had stopped, but the voices sounded close by. I tensed, my sore body screaming in protest. Something was wrong.

"Harry, it was for her own good, if that was the first thing you asked she would have—" A soft voice started.

"_I DON'T CARE WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE DONE_—" The footsteps pounded faster than before to my door as someone shouted, "Harry, wait—"

The door to my room crashed open, bouncing off of the wall. I shrieked in surprise, too stupid to do anything, staring at the very angry young man that had just burst in. It took me a second to recognize him, as Lupin and Dumbledore skidded to a halt just inside the door. I had never seen anyone so angry in my life, not to mention Harry. He was swelling with rage, shaking with it, staring at me. All of the bottles of potion exploded, drenching me. The glass tumblers shattered, and I quickly ducked, protecting my face. My frantic thoughts at protecting myself withered and died in my brain. He was angrier than the angriest Voldemort. He was angry at me, it was my fault. "Harry," Lupin said slowly, his gaze flickering from me to him. Harry cut him off quickly.

"Shut up." He growled, still watching me. His eyes and hair were wild, and his fists were clenched. My body started to tremble. He was going to hurt me, I knew it. Nobody that angry can keep it all inside, the tumblers and potions were only proof.

"What did I do? What's wrong?" I whispered before I realized I spoken. I immediately clamped my free hand over my mouth in fear, shrinking back as far as I could, glass tinkling out of my stubby hair. I was going to get it now, you never question authority…

Harry's face changed drastically at my voice. He looked horrified, though some of the anger remained. He started toward the foot of my bed, and I could only watch, paralyzed by fear still.

"I didn't mean it, I'm not angry at you, Cecily." He said quickly, coming around the side, and taking one of my trembling hands. Lupin and Dumbledore slowly came in further, and Dumbledore closed the door. All my senses were screaming at me to protect myself, but I fought it back. I was safe now…I had nothing to fear… But I couldn't stop trembling. I was fighting back memories with everything I had, if I viewed them again, I would surely breakdown. That couldn't happen, I had already scared Harry enough. "Cecily, relax. I'm sorry." Harry begged he slowly reached forward, and I started to lean away, but stopped myself. He wouldn't hurt me. His face tortured, he scooped tears off my face, tears I hadn't realized I had been crying.

"Why are you so angry?" I whispered, trying to stop my hands from trembling. His face twisted, and I instantly regretted asking.


	25. Chapter 25

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Five-

_Still adapted from nothing!_

CECILY POV

I backtracked quickly. "You don't have to tell me, it's ok." I whispered. If it upset him that much, then he shouldn't have to tell me. Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands. My portly nurse cautiously entered, and came over to the other side of my bed, clearing up the mess with her wand. For the first time, I noticed a name tag, Brenda Willows. Instantly a spirit swirled to the front in my consciousness, and delivered a message, using me as the messenger. It popped out before I could stop it.

"George misses you beyond imagining, and loves you beyond words. He still remembers that day in Diagon Alley, and still thinks that you should have gotten the grey owl. He isn't suffering, so don't worry about him. George—" I clapped a hand to my mouth to stop the flow of words that were continuing in my head. Brenda had frozen, wand raised with glasses in the air.

They smashed to the floor, and she dropped her wand. I stayed frozen, silently reeling. I hated it when that happened, last time; I had recited every word from a love poem of a Death Eaters' killed lover. Sometimes, whenever a particular spirit in the ring heard a name it knew, it would push itself on me with a message they wanted delivered.

"He thought the grey owl would send my love letters better…how did you know?" Brenda gasped. I avoided her gaze and refused to answer. I was obviously a freak; did she really need to know the details? I barely heard Lupin talking and escorting her out, and as the door closed, Harry started talking.

"I'm such a dolt. I should have known better, but I can't believe it—" He broke off and stared at me, the anger back in his eyes. I unwillingly met his gaze. It almost wasn't worth knowing what was ailing him when he was this angry, this frightening. "I know what he did to you, everything." He said, starting to tremble again. I flinched. _Damn._ I hadn't wanted him to worry, but I didn't think he would get this mad about things he couldn't change.

"There was nothing you could do. But obviously beating and starving me didn't stop you from digging deeper." I said stiffly, like it didn't matter. He groaned, and put his head back in his hands. He spoke his next words quickly, like he didn't want to say them.

"I know about Avery, I know what he did to you." He blurted out, his voice muffled by his hands. My gaze froze on his form, my whole body locking down. Before I could stop it, the memory broke free of my mental restraints and seared across my mind.

_Avery making fun of me because I couldn't age anymore, ripping at my hair, my clothes, hitting, punching…_

_His fists pummeling my face and head, the chains keeping me from fighting back. Then his hands were tearing at my robes, pushing them up. I struggled to kick him, but the thick band around my ankle cut into my skin, halting my progress._

_He ran his filthy hands down my exposed thighs, grinning. He felt my thin stomach, ran his hands around my hips, going back over my thighs, then inside my thighs and up—_

"We are going to need a sedative," A female voice said firmly, stroking my stubby hair. I could hear a strange hacking noise, but my eyes weren't working, I couldn't see-my face was pressed into my hands-

"No, don't do that, she's been controlled her whole life, just let her get it all out." I heard Dumbledore say by my feet.

_He pushed roughly, grating strongly against me. I squirmed and bucked, trying to move him off, but his strong hands were squeezing my shoulders so tightly, I couldn't get him off._

_I gasped in pain as blood ran down my leg. He chortled at the sound of my pain, gripping me tighter, making me cry out in agony. Then his disgusting voice was in my ear…_

"_I won't stop until you beg." He laughed. It hurt so bad, my muscles were cramping, adding to the pain. More blood ran down my leg as I gasped, "Stop it," then screamed as he pushed with all his strength._

"_I said __beg."_ _He snarled. I whimpered as he moved his hands to my waist, locking him to me, touching me with as much of his filthy body as possible…_

"_Please…" I whispered, tears rolling steadily down my face, the blood rolling steadily down my legs._

"Please? Cecily, it's alright..." A voice begged by my right ear. The hacking had risen in intensity, and I realized it was sobs I was hearing. They were ripping through…me. I could feel the pain and the blood like it was yesterday. I felt shame rise in me as I realized I had spoken out loud. Poor Harry…

I could feel the spirits of my family writhing in rage, close to my heart. I took a deep, shuddering gasp of air and tried to calm down. Avery was far away, never to hurt me again…

I blinked, and slowly brought my face out of my hands. I was still sitting straight up, almost in a trance. I could feel a hand on my back; it was shaking. _Harry._ A voice in my mind said, and I cursed myself. I probably scared him with my unnecessary reaction.

"To understand, I'll have to start from the beginning." I choked, looking determinedly at a blank patch of wall and at no one's gaze.

"Go ahead, Cecily." Dumbledore said calmly, but it sounded forced.

"The first terrible thing he made me do was catch bigger snakes for him to take over. His body was gone, I had no idea why, but I was connected to him; I couldn't get away. I still remembered Sirius, and I didn't know why we were separated. I wanted to go home, to my parents. Then, a man stumbled upon us, and Voldemort took his body. That was the first time I was left alone with Avery. I could feel him watching me. Finally, Voldemort returned, but as a spirit again."

I slowly reclined once more, drying my face with my shirt sleeve, feeling my jutting cheekbones through the cloth. I smiled weakly at Harry, who still looked incredibly sad and angry. It hurt to see him like that.

"All too soon, he left again, and Avery watched me. For a whole _year_, he watched me, sometimes touched me, but he was just getting started, and he hadn't abused me yet. I was fifteen, not _ready_ enough I guess." The fear I had felt that year echoed back to me.

Then I was stuck with Voldemort again. He was getting angrier, but weaker by the day. Avery had abandoned us, thinking he could get away from Voldemort. I still had to find snakes for his body, fuel for his spirit. I wanted to refuse, but he had me fused to him, I couldn't get escape. My ring told me he was dying, and I only hoped I could get away when he died. My sixteenth birthday came and went. Finally, a man came to us, with a woman.

"I listened to Voldemort hurt her, Bertha Jorkins. For three days, he tortured her. Wormtail, the man, played babysitter this time. He was better than Avery…but worse. On his watch, I heard their plans, their plans for getting to you. I didn't know you back then, I was told to hate you, but I was curious. My punishment was disposing of Bertha's body. Then we were traveling. Any question I asked was rewarded with a beating, so eventually, I became a ghost, just along for the ride. I heard Voldemort kill an old man, in the old house we stayed in. I heard about his back up plan, lived in the Crouch basement as he went forward with his plans. A year passed, I turned seventeen. Then, he took us to the Graveyard."

I felt tears instantly start to fall as I continued speaking. I couldn't stop now. "Avery came back. He saw that I had grown, and he raped me as soon as he got the chance." My voice broke on the word 'rape', no matter how hard I tried to keep my voice steady. The whole time, I had kept it expressionless, staring at my lap. Harry stood swiftly and hugged me. I returned it this time, biting my lip to keep me from weeping again. I had scarred him enough. This wasn't his burden to bear. His eyes were angry when we pulled apart, but he sat back down as Dumbledore motioned for me to continue. His face was fierce, but interested at the same time.

'He left me for a few days, I didn't see anyone, until Wormtail was suddenly beside himself with preparations, for what, I didn't know, and wasn't about to ask. Later, I heard two people enter the Graveyard. One was killed, the other, I knew was kept alive. I heard things I didn't understand, but I was taking the chance to try escaping to find out. I watched the Death Eaters return. Then he said your name." I looked back at Harry, and his face was frozen.

"My—_our_ parents spirits had found me periodically throughout the years, and they were with me that night. I understood instantly who you were, and I had to protect you. So instead of running, I tried to keep him from hurting you. And, well…you know the rest." I closed my eyes and rested my head against the headboard.

"What happened after Harry got away?" Dumbledore asked.


	26. Chapter 26

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Six-

CECILY POV

I stared across the room before answering. "As soon as he realized Harry was gone, he got into one of his rages. For the first time in a long time, he was beating me up again, but harder than before. I don't know how long it lasted, but before the sun rose, I was in the sarcophagus for the first time." I kept my gaze fixed firmly on the wall.

"We moved soon after that. I was injured, so I didn't try getting out then. Whenever we traveled, I wasn't fed, so when the trip was finally over, I was hungry, but the food didn't come. Harry dreamed of me soon after, he just barely got away. Voldemort was furious, but what could he do? He decided to set a trap for Harry, a dream of him beating me until I died. I contacted him the only way I knew how, through a mirror, and warned him. It took all my energy, so when I woke up, I was strapped down." I took a deep breath, but forced myself to continue.

"He tried to get information out of me, but for the first time, I was denying him what he wanted. He even threatened me with Avery, but I still blocked Harry from my dreams. Time passed…too slow to be real, it seemed. Then, I actually heard people upstairs. I had figured out I was in a basement, but I didn't know where. These people were singing Christmas songs, quite drunkenly, but loud enough for me to hear. That night, I got introduced to all the Death Eaters from Azkaban. I still wasn't being properly fed, but I wasn't even hungry anymore. My body had healed from the beatings, but my next contact was with that Draco Malfoy." My voice turned angry without my realizing. I saw Harry stiffen again, and I felt so bad for him.

"It wasn't pleasant, but it was the first food in about a month, so I was happy…until I smelled it. The food was drugged, with Veritasereum no doubt, so I didn't eat it. I buried it under the robes I had torn off, and didn't give away anything when I was questioned. Voldemort gave me the Quibbler awhile later, unknowingly giving me information. The date, and depressingly, information that the Ministry of Magic wasn't searching for him. But it told me that Harry was alright, and that was the only good thing Voldemort ever did for me. Then, we were traveling. I slept through the whole thing, my body was trying to heal itself, but without fuel, it wasn't doing much. When I woke up, all I could hear was water." I looked over at the both of them. "And I believe you know the rest." I finished quietly. The spirits nudged me softly, like a hug.

We were silent for a while. "What happened to your hair?" Harry asked quietly. I absentmindedly brought my hand up and touched the short locks. I had gotten used to the sudden change of my length of hair.

"I scared Bellatrix, so she cut it off. It was worth it though." I responded, curling a lock around my finger, and gasping as it came out of my head. It floated down onto the blanket, feathery and pale. Dead; like me.

"I have to apologize to you Cecily. I believed you to be dead, so I did not bother with a search. Your parents were trying to keep you two a secret, to protect you. Somehow, the world found out about Harry, but not you. I couldn't ask for a search because no one knew you existed." Dumbledore said slowly. I didn't respond, but played with the lock of hair on the bed. It really wasn't Dumbledore's fault, but I still felt like I should blame _someone_ for what had happened to me.

There was a knock on the door, and Moody stuck his head around the door. "The next guard is here, Dumbledore." His eye rested on me as he talked. I found it strangely comforting now, for reasons I couldn't explain. His normal eye held pity yet strength, and I felt better just by meeting his gaze. It was another subliminal reminder to myself to stay strong.

"Send them in." Dumbledore said calmly, and Moody opened the door. A tall slightly balding red-haired man entered, with a girl with shocking purple hair. The both nodded politely at me, which I returned after a slight hesitation.

"This is Nymphadora Tonks, and Arthur Weasley. They will be taking over for Lupin and Mad-Eye for the moment." Dumbledore said. I nodded again, quicker this time.

'But if you call me Nymphadora I'll have to kill you. It's Tonks." Nym-Tonks said with a shudder. I felt a ghost of a smile rise to my face for the first time in a long time. Her spunk was a pleasant surprise.

"Pleasure to meet you Cecily, a real pleasure." Mr. Weasley said, extending his hand. I was instantly confused. What was I supposed to do?

He carefully picked up one of mine and shook it up and down. I frowned. What the hell did that mean? "I'm sorry, I don't know what that means…" I trailed off pathetically at the look on his face. It instantly brightened into a grin.

"It's a greeting!" Tonks said enthusiastically, and wildly shook hands with Dumbledore. The look on his face was priceless, and the smile returned to my face. I cautiously shook Mr. Weasley's hand. My bony hand looked strange in his, and the movement felt odd. Our skin tones contrasting was comical, and his hand had amazing warmth compared to mine. It was strange, but not unpleasant.

"He's the dad of one of my good mates." Harry said as they all left except him. He looked exhausted.

"You should get some sleep. Where do you live?" I asked, realizing I had no idea where he was staying. Harry certainly wasn't staying at the Hospital. He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. His resemblance to dad was striking. I smiled to myself, shocked at my own happiness.

"I'm not leaving you, no way. The school year just ended, I go to Hogwarts. It's a wizarding school that kids go to until they are seventeen." He explained without me having to ask.

"You need to sleep though, and I won't let you sleep on the floor. But where do you go after school? Do you stay with Mr. Weasley? He seemed to be really…connected with you, I guess." He smiled tiredly, and forced back a yawn.

"I'm not leaving Cecily. And usually during the summer I stay at mum's sister's place. They don't use magic—their Muggles—but if I can get away, I stay with the Weasley's, yeah. My good mate, Ron, I stay with him. He has 5 older brothers, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George. Then he has a younger sister, Ginny."

"Wow. I would like to meet all of them, if I could." I said, interest spiked as he yawned again, stretching in the white stiff chair he was sitting in.

"Of course you can, his mom, Mrs. Weasley, has already tried to get in here. She's like the mom I never had, you'll love her." He mumbled sleepily. "Oh, and then my other good friend, Hermione, her parents are Muggles, but their alright. They are both dentists, they take care of Muggles' teeth."

"I've seen both of them, I was with you in the Department of Mysteries. I think I've seen Ginny, I'm positive she was with you, and I've seen your brunette friend. Is she alright?" I asked, just remembering about Dolohov and the curse. It seemed like ages ago. Harry jerked out of his dose.

"Why wouldn't she be alright?" He asked, curious. I shrugged.

"I blocked a spell from Dolohov, and if it took a toll on me, it must have hurt her too." Harry stared at me, open mouthed. Then he shook his head.

"She's fine, honestly. I still can't believe you were there though, I'll have to tell her." He was starting to fall asleep again, so I stayed quiet, and watched him fall asleep, the strange sense of security in my heart.


	27. Chapter 27

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Seven-

CECILY POV

I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, I was alone. Brenda came in, and I apologized until she made me take medication, insisting it was fine. "Are you hungry yet dear?" she asked, looking slightly worried. I thought about it.

"I don't know…" I said truthfully, and she tisked, making a tray appear out of nowhere, loaded down with food. It was heavy on my lap, but all I could do was stare. I had never seen this much food, I couldn't even identify some of it. "Is all this for me?" I asked in shock. Brenda looked taken-aback, but nodded. I glanced over all of it. There were pitchers with unknown substances, brightly colored spheres, and different kinds of breads. Some pinkish strips were steaming. "Um, Brenda?" I asked, examining a stout round-ish shaped object. It looked to be made of a bread like substance, but it was dotted with little blue balls. She looked up from measuring some medication, and then came over.

"That's a blueberry muffin dear." She said carefully. I frowned at it, and then took a cautious bite. The bread taste I was used too, but the berry taste I was not. I swallowed, unsure.

"Oh." I gasped, and put a hand on my stomach. I could feel it stretch for the first time in months. It felt odd, bloated. Brenda, thinking something was wrong, came back over.

"I'm fine…but, it feels…" I broke off, I didn't know what to say. She just smiled and handed me a pink strip.

"Have you had bacon dear? Try some." She looked almost eager as I took a nibble. It was surprisingly crispy. My nose wrinkled at the taste, though.

"No? Shame, meat can be good for you…" She went back to measuring as I finished the muffin. My stomach felt oddly sore, almost bloated. "Not hungry anymore?" Brenda asked, breaking me from my reverie. I quickly nodded. "You're full already? Well then, drink these." She said, business like, and flicked a white rectangle over to her, and started scrawling on it with a feather. Interested, I watched her the whole time.

"What are you doing?" I asked finally. She looked up in surprise. "I don't mean to bother you, I'm sorry." I said quickly. Brenda came over and sat on Harry's chair.

"I'm writing about your condition. See?" She showed me the clipboard. Paper was on it, and written on the paper was a series of scrawled lines. I could read them, easily, I had taught myself to read, but I didn't know that you could write.

"Can I see your feather?" I asked, and she laughed, but gave it to me. "That is called a quill dear." She said as I tried it out, trying to copy her letters on the bottom. I was shocked to find it was easy. I copied all of the lines.

"Oh!" I said as I let go of the quill. Black ink was all over my fingers. Maybe it wasn't so easy after all. Brenda was looking at my letters, frowning. Then she pulled out her wand, and tapped my fingers. Nothing happened. She tried again, but it didn't work. "Spells don't really work…on…me…" I said, seeing her face. She excused herself hastily and left, leaving me alone. Tonks came in almost immediately afterward though, grinning as usual. Today her hair was an exotic blue, and was short and flat, like mine. But that made no sense whatsoever-

"I can change my appearance. Wanna see?" She said, sensing my confusion. I nodded, and she screwed up her face, looking like she was in pain. A second later, she was shockingly tall. She shrunk back, grinning at the look on my face.

"Tonks, stop showing off in there. Harry's back." I heard Mr. Weasley call. She winked at me, energetically shook my hand, and then darted out, holding the door open for Harry as he came in, with three red haired boys, and Hermione.

I was suddenly very shy. I had never seen this many people at once before, but it was nice to have visitors. I had been around the same number of people my whole life, and now I suddenly found others incredibly interesting.

"How are you doing, Cecily?" Harry asked, sitting on the chair, conjuring more with his wand. I felt a quick pang of jealousy. I had never been able to hold a wand, it hurt. But he did used one easily.

"Um, good. I ate something this morning." I said distractedly, trying to chase away my previous thoughts. Harry brightened instantly. He had been really worried about me eating- fully embracing his brotherly role. I thought I saw two of the boys exchange looks at my comment, but I wasn't sure.

"Good, well, this is Hermione and Ron, you've well, not met, but seen them before," Ron and Hermione exchanged startled looks with each other, "And then Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George."

"Nice to meet all of you." I said softly, trying to memorize faces and names. Ron looked too much like his siblings, who I couldn't tell apart. Harry hadn't exactly specified who was who. I felt Mum and Dad's spirits perk up in interest, getting a good look at everyone through me. A kind of awkward silence fell, and I suddenly was very embarrassed. I had never really thought of my appearance before, I had never looked in a mirror, but I suddenly felt very exposed, and ugly. I'm sure my face right now was enough to scare anyone.

"Where have you seen us before?" Hermione spoke up, still looking confused, and slightly irritated because of it. I looked to Harry for help. How do you tell someone you were watching them?

"She was kind of with me in the Department of Mysteries…in a dream." Harry said uncertainly, trying to say it right. Hermione looked more confused than ever.

"It's difficult to explain, but I was there." I assured her almost inaudibly. Sirius the spirit shuddered inside me.

"Well, I have to thank you, for what you did." I shot a glare at Harry, who just grinned. "I really wouldn't be here, so thank you." She continued as I glared at Harry again, who started laughing.

"Oh geez Cecily, take the credit all ready. It was _not_ creepy." He chortled, and I flushed. We'd already argued about this.

"Oh yes, because following someone around as a spirit isn't creepy in _anyway_, I get it." I said sarcastically, breaking the tension as Ron burst out laughing, his brothers joining in at the look on my face. The door opened and a portly woman with the same flaming red hair came in, with a younger girl behind her who I recognized as Ginny. This must be Mrs. Weasley, because she shut up her sons with a look and came over beside Harry.

"Oh goodness, my family comes to visit and look at you! Gracious, you look just like Lily." She fussed, spreading the beadspread. "I'm so sorry for you dear, so sorry," she continued, oblivious to my whole body stiffening. I meekly nodded.

"Thank you." I whispered. Harry was right, she was like a mum. No-nonsense, good old fashioned mum. Mum inside me sighed.

"Mum, you're scaring her. I mean really." Said one of the twins. "Yeah, you're supposed to go like this!" The other said, and they both moved to stand next me. For a second, I was cautious, but then they started to recite.

"Hey, nice to hear you're ok, were gonna kill that son of a-" They started, but one glare from Mrs. Weasley silenced them, making me smile, and I made a strange noise. It took me a second to realize I was laughing. It made my ribs ache terribly, but I didn't care, it felt good to laugh.

"See? That's how it's done." One said with satisfaction, and I laughed until I was gasping for air, and tears were falling down my face. "I don't know George, your ugly face could be making her cry." He said and winked as I quickly wiped away the tears, a knee-jerk reaction.

They stayed for a while, and the whole time, I was smiling.


	28. Chapter 28

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Eight-

CECILY POV

Time flew in the hospital. I met lots of Harry's friends, and they accepted me instantly, and for that, I was grateful. I had never had friends, or family really, for most of my life, so I had no idea how to act. But they didn't care, they even taught me things I never knew. I was able to eat a lot more, and my appetite came roaring back as my body healed at its usual breakneck pace. My Healer was baffled though, she had trouble understanding it. After a few weeks, I asked Harry if he would bring Dumbledore with him next time. He was confused, but said he would.

I hated keeping things from him, but this was very important, and he would try to talk me out of it before Dumbledore got here. I had made Sirius and my parents a promise. I was stronger now, and a hospital was an ideal location for resurrecting to take place. I would be well taken care of, and after their day of sleep, anyone I resurrected would be fine.

So, I tried to assemble my thoughts as Dumbledore and Harry waited patiently. Finally, I spoke. "When Sirius died, and he joined my parents as they guided me, I made them a promise." I hesitated at the look on Harry's face. I knew he was torn. He wanted them back badly, that I could tell, but he was still worried about me.

Dumbledore's face was as cool as stone. I knew he disapproved, but he really couldn't stop me. I had done what he asked, I had waited. "So I just wanted to let you know…I mean, it's the perfect place for it. Even though they won't need it, Sirius and Mum and Dad will have the attention they need—

"Please wait," Harry said, and he quickly continued at the look on my face. "I mean, I want them back just as much as you do, but you are still aren't completely back to normal—"

"Face it Harry. With this stupid ring, I will never be 'completely back to normal.' Besides, the longer I wait, the harder it will be." I cut him off sharply, his comment stung. I wanted to be normal, but since that wasn't an option…

"I think you should pace yourself, if you must do this. I have to ask you to take it one person at a time, please." Dumbledore spoke for the first time. I frowned. I could probably do all three at once, but I didn't want to scare them, I had done enough of that.

"I think that's reasonable…" I said slowly, pulling out my left hand from under the blankets. My only regret was how weak it would make me. I had been allowed to walk around the room and go on wheelchair rides around the hospital. Those would stop, but it would be worth it, without a doubt.

"Wait, you're doing this _now?"_ Harry gasped. I just nodded, and he looked freaked out. Finally he said, "Who's first?" I bit my lip. This was the hardest part, but I think I had made a decision.

"Sirius, because his death was the most recent, it will be easier." Harry and I both flinched at the word 'death.' I gently touched Sirius's spirit. He wasn't happy with me 'over-extending' myself as he put it, but he wanted to come back. I twisted the ring so that the plain band was on the back of my hand. I put my palm out, like I was getting a high-five, and spread my fingers. I took a deep breath, and started to bring him back. A light blue light came out of the stone, like a beam, and a shining dot appeared inside. That was Sirius's spirit, I just had to restore it, which was the hard part.

I closed my eyes and pictured him from the last time I had seen him, he was young, his face un-scarred from Azkaban, and he was happier then. I made a body, the shell around his spirit, which was now a soul. It unfolded from the fetal position inside the beam of light, and stood straight and tall.

I could tell my hand was shaking, so I focused harder, not wanting to make mistakes. I touched his soul, and it spread throughout his body. The beam turned sideways, and Sirius Black was alive again, asleep on the floor as I fell back into my pillows, breathing hard. That was much easier than I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't any less exhausting.

"Whew." I panted, and opened my eyes. "He'll sleep for a day, he needs to get back his energy, I couldn't give him anymore." I said to my two dumbstruck companions. Harry darted over and knelt beside the sleeping Sirius in total awe. He was crying again, but he hadn't noticed.

"He looks…different. Younger." He choked, and wiped the tears away. I smiled tiredly.

"I thought he deserved that, he went to Azkaban for no reason." I murmured as the door opened. Lupin looked at Sirius on the floor, to Harry, to me, to Dumbledore, and leaned against the doorframe, a hand over his heart.

"How…?" He said weakly, staring at his best friend, then back to me. I smiled again, trying to stay awake.

'He'll wake up in a day, the same as he was before he died. He might be a _bit_ confused, he may still think he's dead…but he should be alright now." I whispered, satisfied. Mum and Dad's spirits nudged me, their equivalent of a hug.

"You should probably get him a bed." I said after a few minutes of them just staring. Dumbledore left briskly, still looking awed, to go get a bed from a Healer.

"Thank you, Cecily." Harry said, coming back over to me. I just nodded sleepily. I barely heard Lupin thank me, even though he didn't need to.

_Just think, when you wake up, Sirius might be there…for the first time in 17 years…_ I thought to myself. Comforted, I let my body relax and fall into a dreamless sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

-The Graveyard, Chapter Twenty Nine-

CECILY POV

I wasn't quite awake, nor was I asleep. I guess I was dosing. My whole body was still tired, but I had gained back all of my lost energy from bringing back Sirius. I was very warm, and very comfortable. Voices drifted in through the darkness, and I listened lazily.

"It's unbelievable, totally indescribable." A voice said shakily. Footsteps entered the room, and I heard a coarse gasp. "She's so thin. He was starving her, wasn't he?" The voice continued. My subconscious frowned at that comment, but I was so tired, I forgot it instantly.

"Please, sit down, Sirius." Said the calm voice of Lupin. I heard someone's weight plop heavily down on the chair, but my mind was reeling. Sirius? Had I really done it? Or was I dreaming?

"She looks just like Lily." Sirius said quietly, and I felt a trembling hand rest gently on my head, stroking my growing hair. Lupin said something to quietly for me to hear, and Sirius laughed shakily. The door opened, and a lighter pair of feet came over.

"I feel like I'm dreaming…I have a sister that I never knew who brought back my godfather from the dead." I heard Harry say. The numbness of sleep had faded, their voices were clearer. Maybe I wasn't dreaming, maybe I had brought Sirius back…

I stirred as the hand in my hair vanished, and I forced my eyes to flutter open, straight into the face I had missed for seventeen years. Tears were already falling from my eyes as I took him in. I had done a perfect job, his face was unflawed and youthful, although there was bags under his eyes, but that was understandable.

I forced my tired body up and gave him the strongest hug I could, which wasn't much, but I was crying to hard to care. I never wanted to let him go, I was afraid he was going to disappear, and vanish back into a spirit once more. For most of my life, he was the only memory I had to cling to of someone who loved me, someone who cared.

"Cecily…I'm so sorry…" Sirius said quietly as I cried on his shoulder. I had forgiven him long ago, I had told him that as soon as he had died. I pulled back and quickly took in his face again, his body. He looked exhausted, but he was alive, and perfect, and—

He carefully stroked my cheek with his thumb, going all the way across my jutting cheekbone. "You are just like Lily, in almost everyway…" he said, taking in me too. I realized the terrible guilt and burden he had carried all his life, and his next life too. He still felt responsible.

"There was nothing you could do, _Seerweus._" I said softly, and his face lit up at his old name.

"I can't believe you still remember…that was so long ago…" I quickly forced back the rest of that memory and smiled tiredly at him, but I was bursting with happiness.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him. After all, he had been reborn…I couldn't say a day ago, I wasn't sure. I had been sleeping, but hopefully it was only a day ago…

"Well, I feel a lot better then when I was dead," Sirius said humorlessly, and I winced, "but other than that, I'm just a little tired, which is unbelievable." He quickly looked me over again.

"How are you? I realize you weren't admitted to the hospital in the best of health, but," he took my hand and carefully felt each knuckle with his thumb, his face getting angrier by the second.

"I'm much better now Sirius…and I'm glad you're back." I said quietly, making him grin, but his eyes were starting to tear over. "Oh no, please don't cry, Sirius, its ok!" I said and sat up painfully, barely keeping in my gasp of pain. "You have plenty of time to cry, Sirius." I said, and Harry put a hand on his shoulder. Sirius just smiled. My mind scrambled to think of something to distract him…"How long have I been sleeping? And how long did you sleep?" I asked quickly. The smile fell off his face. Uh oh.

"I slept for about a day…but you slept for three." He said worriedly, squeezing my bony hand.

"_Three days?"_ I asked in shock. I was only supposed to sleep for one, what happened? Sirius nodded, frowning. I looked quickly around the room, but nothing had changed, nothing hinted to the fact that I had been sleeping for _three_ days.

"It's ok, Cecily. You didn't miss anything, just a lot of reunions while you slept. I can't believe all the Weasley's fit in this room." Sirius chuckled. I pictured it in my head, and smiled…but then I frowned.

"You're going to have to call them all back again…I'm bringing back mum and dad too." I gently pulled my hand out of his and twisted the ring again, but he caught my tiny wrist gently.

"Oh no you don't, not right now anyway. You need to eat and take all of these lovely potions." He gestured with his free hand to the slightly shorter, but still long line of bottles.

"Oh," I murmured as he easily pulled out his wand and conjured a muffin, which I ate. I wasn't used to being hungry and eating all the time, it was kind of a hassle. Then I obediently took all the potions. I briskly rolled up my sleeves then, much to his shock.

"You're going to do it right now?" he asked blankly. I threw him a look and twisted the ring back.

"If not now, when? I ate, I took my potions. I made you three a promise, now it's my turn to keep up my end of the bargain." I said calmly, and closed my eyes. Mum and Dad stirred restlessly, as if to say, "Are you sure?" I smiled and scooped them both up, and projected two beams of light, and Lily and James Potter took shape.

I started to shake, which was pretty normal, but it still had me worried. So I finished them one at a time, starting with Mum. She was easy enough, but Dad was harder. I set Mum down and started Dad. I used up every ounce of energy I could give them. Slowly, I set Dad down. As soon as he touched the floor, I immediately slumped, exhausted.

The last thing I heard was Sirius saying something, and then the blackness of sleep wrapped around me and I knew no more.


	30. Chapter 30

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty-

HARRY POV

I stayed frozen in my seat, staring at Mum and Dad on the floor while Sirius cursed loudly, and got up unsteadily and went over. He had lied to Cecily, he was still pretty shaky, but he squatted down between the both of them in awe, tears falling again.

They were _alive._ The concept was strangely foreign, unreal. Those had to be dolls on the floor, dolls that breathed. Sirius quickly got up, stumbled, but went over to the door and told Mad-Eye to get two beds, much to his surprise.

Then he came over to me, knelt in front of me. My vision went strangely muddled, was I going blind at the sight of my parents? I rubbed at my eyes and strangely enough, my sleeve was soaked with tears.

Sirius gave me a hug, and we stayed that way as two Healers moved my parents out, to a different room, but they were together. Sirius and I followed, almost dumbly to stand at the foot of their beds.

I still couldn't believe she had done it, as Mad-Eye and Lupin came in to see for themselves. Somebody called the Weasley's, so they were on their way…

* * *

CECILY POV

I was having a terrible dream. My families spirits were gone, and I was alone in the sarcophagus again. I had nothing, no food, no family, no hope. The coldness of the casket was seeping into my bones, making me shiver. I was that deathly skeleton again, all my progress had been erased…

The lid opened, and Voldemort scooped me up. I was baby sized! I struggled to kick him, but my tiny little leg wasn't long enough. He put me in a sack…

The dream switched. Avery was standing over me with a knife, the edge already dripping blood. I was tied down, perfect for him. He lowered the knife, watching me. I realized my throat felt very warm, so I looked down. Blood was spilling from my slit throat down my robes in a warm red cascade—

The dream switched again. I was standing alone on a hill, rain was coming down in torrents. Four glass caskets were next to me, Harry, Sirius, Mum and Dad were peaceful in death, but I was crying, my tears mixing with the rain. They were gone, and I couldn't bring them back…

"Look at our daughter, James." Mum spoke inside her coffin, and I cried harder. They weren't dead, but imprisoned like I was. Mum smiled at me, and Dad sat up, watching me. Then he smiled and nodded.

"She's so sick…" Dad said angrily, bumping his head on the top of the casket. Sirius sat up.

"She looks just like you Lily, I told her that, and it's true. She has everything Lily but your eyes, James. She's beautiful." He said, propping up on his side.

Harry was laying on his stomach, chin in his hands, his feet crossed behind him. "I can't believe she did it…" He said quietly, watching the whole conversation. He pulled the locket out from under his robes and inspected it, while I wondered. What had I done?

Suddenly, their caskets began sinking into the ground. Wait, the ground was moving up, a solid black mass, crushing everything…

"She's frowning." I heard Mum say from her crushed casket, but it was too dark to see her, how could she see me? I blinked, and instantly, the darkness disappeared, and blood rushed to my head, making my vision tunnel and darken again.

I blinked again, and my tunnel vision swirled away, and the ceiling of the hospital room took shape, a stark contrast to the dream. I was surprised to find my body wasn't tired, so I went to sit up, and a sure hand helped me sit up. I lifted my head and found myself face to face with Dad, who I mistook for Harry for a second.

I just stared at him, and felt tears begin to roll down my face, catching in the gaunter sections. He sat back, to reveal Mum, crying silently like I was watching us.

I tried to say something, but it came out as sort of a strangled gasp. Dad leaned back over and gave me a hug, squeezing me tight. I wrapped my arms around him, and closed my eyes, memorizing his smell, his feel. They had been with me all this time, but now they were really here.

He passed me gently to Mum, who gave me a quick hug then held me at arms length, stroking my hair, my thin arms. She tilted my chin to see my face better, and she smiled a watery smile.

"Oh, Cecily." She sighed, and her voice! I couldn't remember her speaking before, and it was like liquid energy in my veins. "Honey, don't cry, you've been sad for too long." She said softly, stroking my now ear-length hair gently. I watched both of them breathing, living, totally alive.

"I did it," I breathed, talking to myself. "I can't believe it, you're perfect." I breathed again, taking a parents hand in each of mine, marveling at the warmth of life under their skin.

Mum and Dad smiled simultaneously, making me smile too.

**Hey, quick question...what do you think of my writing style? I had to write a short story for English and my English teacher ripped it to shreds, she HATED it. Tell me one thing you like or don't like...that would be greatly appreciated!!!! (I just want to prove her wrong in my head.)**

**Thanks,**

**blackorchestrafreak**


	31. Chapter 31

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty One-

CECILY POV

Time blurred in the hospital. Despite the Healers confusion, I healed rapidly, and all too soon, I was bored with the hospital, even though someone was always with me. I felt like I was dreaming, and I would wake up in that black prison again.

But it wasn't a dream. Mum and Dad had both gotten jobs, and bought a house. Harry would never have to go back to the Dursley's again. Everyday, Mum would describe her day in detail to me, and sometimes, she would bring me clothes.

Clothes were a mystery to me. I had always only worn Death Eater robes, so the concept of 'Muggle Clothes' was beyond me. I was wearing some sort of hospital sack at the moment, so when she mentioned jeans, I was interested.

There was a problem though. I had taken the world 'by storm' as Dad put it, and people were flocking to St. Mungo's to get a look at me, so the Aurors at the door became a necessity. In fact, I was never, ever alone. There was almost a party a day in my room, and I saw the Weasley's and all of the members of the Order of the Phoenix quite often.

Snape scared me though. I had been informed that he was a Death Eater, so whenever he was outside my room, I was a nervous wreck. Whenever he had to stand guard or be around, Sirius, Mum, Dad and Harry wouldn't leave me. Dad and Sirius would glare at Snape every chance they got, they wouldn't even let him see me, and for that, I was grateful.

So when the day came when they let me get up and walk, I was sent back to bed because I started running down the hall after a photographer from the _Daily Prophet_ tried to get my picture. I thought he was trying to attack me. But I continued to take 'daily strolls' around the room with different people, it varied by the day.

I was stronger now, my ribs no longer showed so much, my hip bones weren't so pronounced. My face was still a little 'peaky' as Mrs. Weasley put it, but she said that about everyone. I wanted to look in a mirror, I have never seen my face, but my parents refused.

_Finally,_ after an immeasurable amount of time, I was allowed to leave the hospital. This in itself proved a problem, with the amount of people trying to see me, Sirius, Mum and Dad; it was a circus right outside the door.

I was dressed, for the first time in forever, in jeans and a long sleeved shirt with a long and thick, hand knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley. It was much too big, but I loved it. My only trouble was with the undergarments. I had never seen a bra before, so I needed a bit of help, me flushing the whole time.

But I was dressed, and I received a thick, hooded deep purple cloak from Dumbledore, as a gift. I thanked him a million times over, it was warm, and it kept me hidden. Dad took my hand, Mum on his other side, and stepped out the door.

Aurors quickly surrounded us, and we moved easily through the growing crowd as we walked as quickly as I could go out of St. Mungo's. Mum Apparated with me to a field, with broomsticks waiting. I balked. I had no idea how to use a broom.

"It's not so hard, really." Said Harry, who easily mounted his and took off into the sky, grinning. Of course it was easy for him, he was a Seeker. (All of the male Weasley's had a grand old time explaining the rules of Quidditch to me.)

I cautiously got on the broom, I had no idea what model it was or anything, but according to the Weasley's some were better than others. Whatever. "Now just push off the ground with your feet." Dad said, hovering a few feet above me. Feeling foolish, I did, and I was shooting into the sky like a bullet.

I quickly sat up and the broom stopped. I could tell I was smiling, it felt wonderful to be out in the air. Harry zoomed over with a strange look on his face. 'What?" I asked, instantly worried.

"That was the fastest take-off I have ever seen!' He said as the Aurors flew around us. I threw him a look and he rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, Cecily, that was incredible for your first time." I saw an odd look in Dad's eye and Mum muttered something I couldn't hear, making him laugh.

"Oh, is that the house!" I asked, pointing excitedly down to a two story house. Dad nodded, but for some reason we landed a good 5 yards away from the property. "Why are we stopping here?" I frowned and got off the broom as it tried to take off again.

"Dumbledore put spells around the house to keep anyone from entering if they aren't on foot, and a dozen more spells just for protection." Mum said lightly, and steered me up the worn path to the front door. I could see a house in the distance, but decided to leave that question for later.

"Oh, and that house is the Weasley's place." Harry said, grinning from ear to ear. I guess my question is solved then…

The house was beautiful, already furnished somehow, and Mum showed me to my _own_ room. It seemed so strange, yes, I had my own room at the hospital, but I thought they always did that because of germs. It was right at the top of the stairs, with Harry on one side, Mum and Dad on the other.

I was home.


	32. Chapter 32

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Three-

CECILY POV

I stood in the doorway to my new room, at a loss for words. It was beautiful, light and open. I slowly set my new cloak on a silver hook on the wall and stepped further into the room.

I had a tall, white wardrobe, in the corner, and it looked to be full already. The carpet was the same blue as the stone in my ring, and the bed spread was white, like the walls. An empty pine desk stood in the last corner of the room.

In the middle was a low pine table with white little cushions to sit on, a perfect place to sit and talk. It was more than I could have ever hoped for in my life. I walked over to the wardrobe, curious, and opened both doors.

I froze. The inside of the doors were mirrors. A girl I didn't know looked shocked in front of me. Her hair was reddish-brown and waved down to her ears. Her eyes were hazel, and almond shaped, with long lashes. The girl's lips were bow shaped and full. But her face was what had me totally immersed.

She was deathly pale, and her cheeks and eyes were slightly sunken, giving her a frail appearance. I slowly touched my fading cheekbone, and the girl did too. I knew nothing of beauty, but this girl had to be me. Mirrors reflected things, it had to be me.

I shut both doors and turned quickly away, and ran straight into Mum. She gave me a hug, and then silently led me downstairs, the Weasley's were here. I shoved the memory of my face down and locked it away.

Mrs. Weasley gave me a hug when I walked into what I had been told what was the living room with Mum. "You are still a little peaky dear, look at you!" She said, smiling warmly, gesturing to my body. I frowned. I had never really thought about skinny or fat before, it hadn't been important. I quickly realized that skinny was 'beautiful', so she must be complimenting me.

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley." I said quietly, and plopped down next to Ginny as the adults launched into telling Mum and Dad what had been happening since they were dead, heading for the dining room.

Ginny immediately asked me if I wanted to play wizard chess. She was playing Ron at the moment, so I surveyed the board. My eyes froze on one of his pawns, and I felt the overwhelming feeling that it was going to die, and soon.

"Cecily?" Ginny's voice snapped me back to reality. I quickly blinked and shook my head. I looked at the pawn again, and saw she could take it. Interesting.

"If you move your knight to g4, you can take his pawn." I said softly. That disturbed me…could I tell if someone was going to die? She thanked me, much to Ron's complaint, and took his pawn.

Harry caught my eye and mouthed, "What?" I frowned and shook my head. I had pressed my problems on him enough, not to mention everyone here. Speaking of, didn't they go to school in the fall?

'What day is it?" I asked randomly, as I sensed that Ginny was about to lose one of her knights. I shoved the feeling violently away. It was creepy.

"Tomorrow is August 31." Hermione said from behind her book, _Achievements in Charming_. Ginny cursed quietly as Ron took her knight.

"Don't you all go back to school then?" I asked softly, and the adults stopped talking. I frowned. Harry mentioned something about all witches and wizards going to school until they were seventeen, right?

"Cecily, come here please." Sirius called from the dining room. I got up slowly, avoiding anybody's gaze, and walked in, and sat down next to him. He cleared his throat, and looked at Dad.

"Cecily…we aren't sure if you are strong enough for school. There is no doubt that you are a witch, but—"

'I'm strong enough for this." I said firmly. If I could sense which pawn in a game of chess would die, I could sit in a classroom.

'Well, dear, you would have to be held back a year, and be in Harry's year. There is so much you have to learn, I don't want you to be overwhelmed." Mum said anxiously. I sighed angrily.

"I don't _care_ which year I'm in, or who I'm with, or where I am. I _know_ there is a lot for me to learn, and I want to learn it all. I just want to be—" I quickly cut myself off and stood up abruptly, and swiftly left the room. I ignored the living room completely and walked outside and sat on the front step, my mind whirling, frustration running deep in my veins.

I wanted to be normal, so badly. I wanted to have been in school for 5 years, I wanted to have a wand, and cast spells. But I would never, ever have that. I was cursed, cursed forever. I would stay forever seventeen, unless I was killed in other ways besides a spell. The ring would never leave me until I died, and then it would take someone else's life.

"Cecily!" I heard Lupin say in surprise. I guess he was on guard duty, even though the house supposedly didn't need it. He scared me though, and I flinched, looking up quickly. His wand was lit, I hadn't realized it was dark outside.

I wiped my face clean of tears before his wand-light would reveal them, and I stood up. Could I not be alone? Could I be anywhere where I wouldn't be reminded of the normality I would never have?

"Sorry," I said quietly, and turned to leave, but his hand gently caught my elbow. I jumped, as if he had shocked me. I had _felt_ his soul, directly under his skin, its calm demeanor matching his personality. I froze as information I didn't need to know flooded in, his birthday, his life, what he believed in, he was a werewolf, when he would die—"

Then he pulled his hand away, calling my name worriedly. But it was dim and slow, deepening as information broke away with his contact, and pushed close for attention, then fell back, down to the ring, storing all that information that I would have never wanted to know.

I felt the pain he felt when he was bitten, I could feel his shame during his school years, how he felt as a werewolf, cool and free, never to be held back, an alpha male with out a pack…

I closed my eyes to disperse the information, trying to break my trance, and it finally receded for good. For the first time, I felt hands on my shoulders, and a voice talking to me. Instantly, that person's soul, who turned out to be Mum, poured into me as my head cleared of Lupin. I could feel the cold crushing weight of death, the floating and disorienting sensation of being a spirit, I felt Voldemort's curse hit me square between the eyes, the flash of pain—

I brought my arms up and quickly shoved Mum away before I could learn anymore, putting my head in my hands, my hands turned to fists locked in my hair, as if to rip out that information. I kept my eyes closed, but I could feel Mum's panic. I could hear two other people too; it must be Lupin and Dad.

"Don't touch me." I whispered brokenly. "I—your souls—" I struggled to explain and found I could not. That had never happened before, never in my whole life, and the sensation was not pleasant. Why did it have to happen now, when I was trying so desperately to be normal?

"Honey, what are you talking about, what's wrong?" Mum's voice filtered in frantically. I winced and opened my eyes.

"When you two," I pointed at Mum and Lupin, "touched me, I…read…your souls." I said quietly, trying not to frighten them anymore, but my anger was rising. "I read everything, every detail, every painful memory, _everything!_" I was shouting now. I couldn't remember the last time I had shouted, but it felt oddly comforting. Any sounds from inside the house stopped.

"Mum, Voldemort's curse hit you right between the eyes, didn't it? You still get headaches there, don't you?! Lupin! Greyback bit you, didn't he? Every full moon, you have to turn into a wolf and hide from the world, don't you!?" I shouted. It felt good to get some of that information out. Mum and Lupin's faces were masks of shock.

"I know how it felt, when you were dead, Mum. I know it's disorienting, dark and cold. Lupin, I know what it feels like when you turn into a wolf. I know that it hurts, it burns, doesn't it?! _I know all of this, and I don't want to!"_ I screamed, frustrated beyond imagination.

I turned my back from their shocked faces, ignored the silent house, and stormed into the yard, grabbing one of the broomsticks from the pile we had used to get here, and kicked off. The air rushed past my face as I rose up, higher and higher, until my hands were numb from the cold on the broom handle.

I pulled to a halt a good three hundred feet from the ground, and looked up at the stars, forcing my emotions into their usual lockdown. It was the only way I could act like I was normal. I dove into my ring, and blocked off that part, the one new section that I had felt the information from Mum and Lupin come in from. I shut it all down.

Then I examined the ring, as I had so many times before. It was glowing brightly in the night, illuminating the clouds around me with a gentle light. The stone remained its diamond shape, even though it was packed with spirits and information. I dropped out of the cloud, and shook the moisture from my hair.

I looked over to see two figures on broomsticks about twenty feet away, just watching. Even from here, I could distinguish Mum and Dad. Suddenly, I felt the overwhelming urge to be near them, to not be alone. The broom seemed to hear me, and it flew over quickly.

I flew inbetween them and took one of their hands in each of mine. There was no rush, no spirit reading, nothing. I felt Dad's try to connect, but my block sent it back inside his hand; it kept it in his body.

"Yes!" I whispered, and squeezed their hands. Slowly, I explained to them, told them everything this time, keeping my feelings locked tightly away. I could do this.


	33. Chapter 33

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Three-

CECILY POV

I stood in the doorway to my new room, at a loss for words. It was beautiful, light and open. I slowly set my new cloak on a silver hook on the wall and stepped further into the room.

I had a tall, white wardrobe, in the corner, and it looked to be full already. The carpet was the same blue as the stone in my ring, and the bed spread was white, like the walls. An empty pine desk stood in the last corner of the room.

In the middle was a low pine table with white little cushions to sit on, a perfect place to sit and talk. It was more than I could have ever hoped for in my life. I walked over to the wardrobe, curious, and opened both doors.

I froze. The inside of the doors were mirrors. A girl I didn't know looked shocked in front of me. Her hair was reddish-brown and waved down to her ears. Her eyes were hazel, and almond shaped, with long lashes. The girl's lips were bow shaped and full. But her face was what had me totally immersed.

She was deathly pale, and her cheeks and eyes were slightly sunken, giving her a frail appearance. I slowly touched my fading cheekbone, and the girl did too. I knew nothing of beauty, but this girl had to be me. Mirrors reflected things, it had to be me.

I shut both doors and turned quickly away, and ran straight into Mum. She gave me a hug, and then silently led me downstairs, the Weasley's were here. I shoved the memory of my face down and locked it away.

Mrs. Weasley gave me a hug when I walked into what I had been told what was the living room with Mum. "You are still a little peaky dear, look at you!" She said, smiling warmly, gesturing to my body. I frowned. I had never really thought about skinny or fat before, it hadn't been important. I quickly realized that skinny was 'beautiful', so she must be complimenting me.

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley." I said quietly, and plopped down next to Ginny as the adults launched into telling Mum and Dad what had been happening since they were dead, heading for the dining room.

Ginny immediately asked me if I wanted to play wizard chess. She was playing Ron at the moment, so I surveyed the board. My eyes froze on one of his pawns, and I felt the overwhelming feeling that it was going to die, and soon.

"Cecily?" Ginny's voice snapped me back to reality. I quickly blinked and shook my head. I looked at the pawn again, and saw she could take it. Interesting.

"If you move your knight to g4, you can take his pawn." I said softly. That disturbed me…could I tell if someone was going to die? She thanked me, much to Ron's complaint, and took his pawn.

Harry caught my eye and mouthed, "What?" I frowned and shook my head. I had pressed my problems on him enough, not to mention everyone here. Speaking of, didn't they go to school in the fall?

'What day is it?" I asked randomly, as I sensed that Ginny was about to lose one of her knights. I shoved the feeling violently away. It was creepy.

"Tomorrow is August 31." Hermione said from behind her book, _Achievements in Charming_. Ginny cursed quietly as Ron took her knight.

"Don't you all go back to school then?" I asked softly, and the adults stopped talking. I frowned. Harry mentioned something about all witches and wizards going to school until they were seventeen, right?

"Cecily, come here please." Sirius called from the dining room. I got up slowly, avoiding anybody's gaze, and walked in, and sat down next to him. He cleared his throat, and looked at Dad.

"Cecily…we aren't sure if you are strong enough for school. There is no doubt that you are a witch, but—"

'I'm strong enough for this." I said firmly. If I could sense which pawn in a game of chess would die, I could sit in a classroom.

'Well, dear, you would have to be held back a year, and be in Harry's year. There is so much you have to learn, I don't want you to be overwhelmed." Mum said anxiously. I sighed angrily.

"I don't _care_ which year I'm in, or who I'm with, or where I am. I _know_ there is a lot for me to learn, and I want to learn it all. I just want to be—" I quickly cut myself off and stood up abruptly, and swiftly left the room. I ignored the living room completely and walked outside and sat on the front step, my mind whirling, frustration running deep in my veins.

I wanted to be normal, so badly. I wanted to have been in school for 5 years, I wanted to have a wand, and cast spells. But I would never, ever have that. I was cursed, cursed forever. I would stay forever seventeen, unless I was killed in other ways besides a spell. The ring would never leave me until I died, and then it would take someone else's life.

"Cecily!" I heard Lupin say in surprise. I guess he was on guard duty, even though the house supposedly didn't need it. He scared me though, and I flinched, looking up quickly. His wand was lit, I hadn't realized it was dark outside.

I wiped my face clean of tears before his wand-light would reveal them, and I stood up. Could I not be alone? Could I be anywhere where I wouldn't be reminded of the normality I would never have?

"Sorry," I said quietly, and turned to leave, but his hand gently caught my elbow. I jumped, as if he had shocked me. I had _felt_ his soul, directly under his skin, its calm demeanor matching his personality. I froze as information I didn't need to know flooded in, his birthday, his life, what he believed in, he was a werewolf, when he would die—"

Then he pulled his hand away, calling my name worriedly. But it was dim and slow, deepening as information broke away with his contact, and pushed close for attention, then fell back, down to the ring, storing all that information that I would have never wanted to know.

I felt the pain he felt when he was bitten, I could feel his shame during his school years, how he felt as a werewolf, cool and free, never to be held back, an alpha male with out a pack…

I closed my eyes to disperse the information, trying to break my trance, and it finally receded for good. For the first time, I felt hands on my shoulders, and a voice talking to me. Instantly, that person's soul, who turned out to be Mum, poured into me as my head cleared of Lupin. I could feel the cold crushing weight of death, the floating and disorienting sensation of being a spirit, I felt Voldemort's curse hit me square between the eyes, the flash of pain—

I brought my arms up and quickly shoved Mum away before I could learn anymore, putting my head in my hands, my hands turned to fists locked in my hair, as if to rip out that information. I kept my eyes closed, but I could feel Mum's panic. I could hear two other people too; it must be Lupin and Dad.

"Don't touch me." I whispered brokenly. "I—your souls—" I struggled to explain and found I could not. That had never happened before, never in my whole life, and the sensation was not pleasant. Why did it have to happen now, when I was trying so desperately to be normal?

"Honey, what are you talking about, what's wrong?" Mum's voice filtered in frantically. I winced and opened my eyes.

"When you two," I pointed at Mum and Lupin, "touched me, I…read…your souls." I said quietly, trying not to frighten them anymore, but my anger was rising. "I read everything, every detail, every painful memory, _everything!_" I was shouting now. I couldn't remember the last time I had shouted, but it felt oddly comforting. Any sounds from inside the house stopped.

"Mum, Voldemort's curse hit you right between the eyes, didn't it? You still get headaches there, don't you?! Lupin! Greyback bit you, didn't he? Every full moon, you have to turn into a wolf and hide from the world, don't you!?" I shouted. It felt good to get some of that information out. Mum and Lupin's faces were masks of shock.

"I know how it felt, when you were dead, Mum. I know it's disorienting, dark and cold. Lupin, I know what it feels like when you turn into a wolf. I know that it hurts, it burns, doesn't it?! _I know all of this, and I don't want to!"_ I screamed, frustrated beyond imagination.

I turned my back from their shocked faces, ignored the silent house, and stormed into the yard, grabbing one of the broomsticks from the pile we had used to get here, and kicked off. The air rushed past my face as I rose up, higher and higher, until my hands were numb from the cold on the broom handle.

I pulled to a halt a good three hundred feet from the ground, and looked up at the stars, forcing my emotions into their usual lockdown. It was the only way I could act like I was normal. I dove into my ring, and blocked off that part, the one new section that I had felt the information from Mum and Lupin come in from. I shut it all down.

Then I examined the ring, as I had so many times before. It was glowing brightly in the night, illuminating the clouds around me with a gentle light. The stone remained its diamond shape, even though it was packed with spirits and information. I dropped out of the cloud, and shook the moisture from my hair.

I looked over to see two figures on broomsticks about twenty feet away, just watching. Even from here, I could distinguish Mum and Dad. Suddenly, I felt the overwhelming urge to be near them, to not be alone. The broom seemed to hear me, and it flew over quickly.

I flew inbetween them and took one of their hands in each of mine. There was no rush, no spirit reading, nothing. I felt Dad's try to connect, but my block sent it back inside his hand; it kept it in his body.

"Yes!" I whispered, and squeezed their hands. Slowly, I explained to them, told them everything this time, keeping my feelings locked tightly away. I could do this.


	34. Chapter 34

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Four-

CECILY POV

After I apologized to everyone in the house for scaring them, life returned to normal. It was different sleeping in a different bed. The shadows of my room were different than the ones at the hospital. Often times, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep, memories still coming back harshly in my dreams. I would often wake up with Mum, Dad or Harry sleeping next to me; but sometimes they were awake. I learned that I cried in my sleep, a fact that disturbed me.

The next day, I went silently downstairs, still in my pajamas. Mum, Dad and Dumbledore were talking quietly in the kitchen, and I silently joined them, leaning against the counter next to Dad, who put his arm around me. He had woke me up last night after I had started crying and talking in my dreams. The dream was that moment when I thought Voldemort had murdered Harry in the Department of Mysteries.

"Cecily, there are many courses offered at Hogwarts, and some require the use of a wand, so you will be excluded from those. You will take History of Magic, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts to the best of your ability. You will have one class a day, and stay with the teacher throughout the day, going through the harder levels." Dumbledore started, and stroked his beard, assembling his thoughts.

Excitement exploded inside me, but I paid rapt attention as he continued. "Hopefully, you can take your O.W.L.s by the end of first semester. I have high hopes for you." He said kindly, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. I was relieved to feel that he had quite a long life ahead of him.

"Thank you so much." I said softly, the excitement inside me reaching a high pitch. But I suddenly frowned. "Do you really think I need to take Defense Against the Dark Arts? It's a little ironic." I continued. Dumbledore laughed.

"I think you can skip that, yes. You're probably more qualified than the teacher." He chuckled. Harry shuffled into the kitchen, yawning, making me smile. Dumbledore cleared his throat, so I turned back to him as he pulled a hat out of his pocket. It was a little worse for wear, but looked like a normal pointed black hat.

"To save you from stares and pointed questions, I thought you could be sorted before you go to school." He said, and I stared at the hat, totally lost. Sorted? Mum and Dad exchanged a happy look that had a reminiscent feeling.

"Um," I said uncertainly as Harry steered me over to a chair, so I sat down. Dumbledore explained.

"In Hogwarts, you are divided into four different houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Neither is better than the other, but you placed reflecting your destiny and personality. Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked. I nodded, a little unsure on how the actual sorting took place, but I trusted him. He plopped the hat on my head, and it fit reasonably well; but the brim flopped in my eyes. I didn't move, afraid I would disrupt the process.

"You have had much suffering in your life," A voice said in my ear, making me flinch. "And you have been surrounded by Dark Magic, and it has caused you pain." The voice continued. It was sly and smooth.

_Yes,_ I said mentally, unsure at what the hat was getting at. It chuckled. "Patience, you will see what I am 'getting at.' You are very difficult to read, your mental strength is stronger than any I have ever seen." It said in my other ear.

"So yes, the Dark Magic. That would put you in Slytherin, especially because you are a wearer of Dark Magic." I glanced out of habit at the sparkling ring on my still bony finger.

"But you're sharpness and intelligence to overcome and understand such challenges is superb. That would put you in Ravenclaw. Let's see…you're overwhelming kindness and lack of judgment based on others is astounding. Surely you would belong in Hufflepuff…" It continued, sounding perplexed.

_But why would it matter where I __belonged__? That can't matter, can it? _ I asked hesitantly, and the hat huffed, and continued its charade. "Finally, you are chock full of bravery. You are strong in the face of fear and pain. This I see overshadows all the rest, for you have dealt with pain your whole life." It spoke quietly know, assembling its thoughts.

A sharp pang of sadness ran through me at its words. Nobody had spoken so highly and honestly with me before. I closed my eyes so that tears wouldn't form as the hat made its decision. It took quite awhile; I could hear it quietly muttering to itself, comparing aspects of my personality.

"Gryffindor." The hat said finally, a simple, quiet statement. _Thank you._ I said softly in my mind, and gently took the hat off. I had no idea what it meant, but I was sorted. That had to be a good thing. Dumbledore looked deep in thought as I handed the hat back to him, but Mum, Dad and Harry looked thrilled, and I got hugs all around.

Dumbledore clapped me on the shoulder and left, as Mum took me upstairs to get ready for school the next day. She was still very unsure, as Dad was, but I would be safe at Hogwarts, if Dumbledore was there.

* * *

The Weasley's came with us to Kings Cross, and I was fascinated by the platform entrance. I was dead nervous being around so many people, but the combined efforts of Harry and the twins kept me laughing for most of the embarking.

I hung out the window, Mum holding my left hand, and tried to ignore the outright pointing and stares. Harry had snagged us a more secluded compartment, but people were starting to come by to get glances.

"Honey, you're beautiful and gifted, try to be safe." Mum said, spinning the ring on my finger. I nodded, smiling. I was used to my face now, no matter how gaunt it still was. Mum had showed me the aspect of a ponytail, so my short hair was pulled back in a tiny ponytail.

The whistle blew, and she passed my hand to Dad, which he kissed, wishing me good luck, and then passed me to Sirius, who was cleared of all charges, and looked thrilled to be out and about.

"Now, be careful." He said seriously. My smile grew to a grin. "I could say the same thing to you." I said, and he laughed, and was forced to let go as the train started moving. Mum and Dad walked with it, talking to Harry as I slipped back inside the compartment. Hermione had gratefully shut the curtains, so I couldn't see the people going by.

I looked out the window as London flew by, thrilled. I had never been on a train before, and I loved them. Someone knocked on the door, making me tear my gaze away as Hermione said, "Must be the trolley," (I had no idea what she meant) and opened the door.

My blood turned to ice and drained from my face, my whole body tensing. Draco Malfoy was in the doorway, smirking, with two very large boys behind him; they looked like bodyguards.

Harry leapt to his feet, drawing his wand. "Don't." I said calmly, feeling my fear turn to anger, the process increasing as Draco said, "What, afraid of a fight, Potter?" As Harry sat back down, glancing at me strangely. I stood slowly, trying to control my still shaking body (I was still scared, I wasn't stupid) and walked until I was right in front of him.

"Cecily…" Ron warned, but I ignored him.

"If you ever, look, talk to, or hurt me, or anyone related to me, family or friend; I'll hurt you beyond imagination." I said quietly, glaring at him. My hands were fists, and I had to look up a little to get in his face, but I wasn't afraid. Not anymore.

He laughed loudly. "Right, yeah, like you could hurt me, you couldn't even help yourself." He shot one of his goons a sarcastic glance, making him hoot with laughter. Before I knew what I was doing, I had grabbed him by the collar, kicked the door shut, and pinned him against the wall.

"Just because I was weak once, doesn't mean I am now. Watch yourself, Draco Malfoy." I said softly but dangerously as his goons pounded on the door. Then I kicked the door open and threw him clean across the hall, and slammed the door, my arms trembling. He was not light, and that had used every ounce of my strength, but it was worth it. Plus, the skin of his worthless neck had touched my knuckles, and even better, my ring. So now, I new everything about him. I stored the information for later, and sat heavily down in the shocked silence of the compartment.

"Oh, bravo." Ron said finally, clapping loudly. I flushed a little, but grinned, seeing the look on Harry's face. Hermione joined Ron's applause, and finally, Harry grinned too.


	35. Chapter 35

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Five-

CECILY POV

The rest of the train ride was quiet, except for the constant pattern of footsteps going by the door. I changed into my robes with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, feeling terrible the whole time. I had worn black robes far too long. I put on my dark purple cloak on over, it was cold and raining heavily outside.

The cloak was so big, Ron Harry and Hermione fit underneath it. Our only mishap was going to the carriages. For some reason, the steeds pulling the coaches loved me; they all tried to come over. Thinking sadly about Bertha Jorkins, the woman I had seen die, I quickly got in the carriage before the steeds could seriously break free and come over.

Ron Harry and Hermione chatted animatedly, but I was silent, watching Hogwarts come in to view. It was a beautiful castle, one that I longed to be inside. I firmly blocked off my soul reader, to avoid any accidents as we climbed awkwardly out of the carriage, everyone under my cloak, and made our way inside the huge entrance hall. I slowly put down my hood, looking around.

The ceiling was higher than any I had ever seen, beautifully adorned with archways. Students flowed around me, staring, but going into the Great Hall. I looked up to see an earth-bound spirit; you may call it a ghost, floating over the crowd. He was a small little man, with wicked eyes and a wide grin.

Then Harry pulled me into the Great Hall, and I was at a loss for words. The ceiling was beautiful as it was dark, rain slashed down and disappeared into nothing above thousands of floating white candles, all in various lengths and sizes. The room itself had rows of benches filling up with students.

Harry laughed at my expression and steered me over to what I realized as the Gryffindor table. I looked at all the tables and felt a chill as my eyes passed to the Slytherin table. Malfoy was sitting there, and my dislike for Slytherin deepened sharply.

When everyone was assembled, the doors opened, and McGonagall, an Order member, walked in with a long line of scared looking first years behind her. I immediately made a mental note to thank Dumbledore for sorting me already. I was a first year, but yet I wasn't.

The first years were sorted, and then Dumbledore rose, and instantly, everyone quieted. "Welcome! He said. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Let us dig into to our excellent feast!" He said, and suddenly, the table was full of food, dishes and dishes of it, some foods I still didn't know.

I sat there staring until Hermione noticed. "You just take what you want, really." She said, and I flushed a little, but thanked her and hesitantly took some potatoes with gravy, and peas and carrots. I had a strange aversion to meat, ever since I tried bacon at the hospital.

Everyone ate for some time, and slowly, people around me lapsed into conversations, and I listened attentively. The Weasley boys, as usual, were talking about Quidditch with Harry. Hermione and Ginny were talking, but I didn't know the topic. So I sat quietly, listening until a girl next to Fred across the table leaned over and spoke.

"Hey, Harry's sister, right? What's your name?" She asked, making me start in surprise.

"Cecily." I said softly. Her face turned serious. "I heard you talk with the dead, and you lived with Voldemort your whole life, is that true?" I was saved from answering by Dumbledore rising again, and the hall quieted once more.

"Ahem—just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. The Forbidden Forest is simply that, forbidden, as many of you tend to forget." His eyes flashed in the direction of the twins, who smiled identical evil grins.

"As usual, the use of magic is forbidden in the corridors. Mr. Filch will be happy to remind all of you happen to forget." His eyes twinkled as he spoke, and I glanced quickly at Filch. He was holding the cat, Mrs. Norris, in his arms, and he glared at the student body.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" He said happily, and the students rose, talking to each other, and began to exit the hall.

The ghost I had learned to be called Peeves was waiting outside the doors, making loud raspberries at random. Suddenly, he whirled around and stared at me, like all the other ghosts currently in the hall. I quickly ducked my head, flushing, and followed Ron, Harry and Hermione up the marble staircase.

"So, what did you think, Cecily?" Ron asked as we walked down a corridor that I tried to memorize. I didn't want to lose my way.

"I thought it was great." I said quietly as we stopped in front of the portrait hole. I was about to climb in, when I got the sensation of ice cold water touching my shoulder. I realized instantly it was a spirit, and I knew it was Peeves before I even turned around. Suddenly, I knew everything about him, how he died (in one of his pranks) where he lived, the whole deal.

"Yes?" I asked softly, waving at Harry to go on. He gave me one last look before shutting the portrait hole, leaving me alone in the hall with Peeves. Peeves looked very unsure, and after a moment, all of the other ghosts appeared out of the walls and formed a small semi-circle around me.

I suddenly understood what they wanted as they looked nervously at each other. "Do you want a service?" I asked.

"Speak up! I can't hear you, my ears are 400 years old!" barked the Bloody Baron. I flushed the deepest red I could muster, everyone in my family and the Weasley's told me I spoke too softly, but that was the way I talked.

"Hush, Baron. She asked if we wanted a service, which is what we want, so do shut up." Barked the Fat Friar, suddenly not so friendly. It was interesting to see the different sides of ghosts.

"What can I do for you?" I asked, stopping any argument the Fat Friar and the Bloody Baron may have had.

"Erm, well, I guess we should do this one at a time." Said Nearly Headless Nick. He drew himself upright and declared, "I wish for you to send me back." All of the ghosts twittered, looking at me expectantly. I was shocked, nobody had asked me to well, kill them before.

"I don't think it does that, but I'll try. Nobody's asked me that before." I said truthfully, and he floated over, looking unsure again. "Sorry if this is a little awkward." I murmured, and put my left hand on his shoulder; my hand going inside him. He shivered.

I quickly filtered out all of the spirit information, that was private, but I focused on the spirit itself, making space in the ring, then I tugged on it, much to his protest.

"Its—not—working." I said after a few more tries, getting frustrated. The one person in the world who might be able to help him was a failure. "I'd have to get more information to help you, about the ring itself." I said and removed my hand, starting to shiver. Spirits were cold.

"Thank you for trying, let me know if you figure it out." He said grandly, and floated back to his spot. Some of the ghosts had left, dissatisfied. In fact, only Peeves remained.

"Can you contact someone for me? Her name was Miranda Gondhawk." He said, and the name clicked instantly in my brain, and her spirit came forward. _I have Peeves here…anything you would like to say, say it now._ I said, and she instantly started using me as her mouthpiece.

"Peeves!" my mouth squealed, (I was quite still, with my eyes closed) "Good to hear from you! I feel really dumb for not becoming a ghost, it's _so_ lame being dead. I miss you, old buddy. I still think we should have used even more fire-newt tail on that final prank, now that I know it would have killed us. It brings a whole new meaning to going out with a bang!" I continued, the preppy, loud voice spilling from me not my own.

I couldn't see Peeves face, which was somewhat of a relief. "But, _yah,_ I'm so bored. There is seriously NOTHING to do. All we do is float around in this nasty black gooey stuff, it would be awesome for a prank, it's all cold and slimy… any_who!_ I'm sure this chick I'm talking too will be totally drained by the time I'm done talking, so um, _cha_." Miranda broke away quickly, taking most of whatever energy I had left. My knees quickly bent and I slumped against the wall, opening my eyes.

Peeves looked absolutely stunned, not normal for him. "Thank you—" He blurted quickly and zoomed away. I stayed against the wall, sliding down to a sitting position, totally drained, emotionally and physically. Allowing spirits to talk through you was always hard. I leaned my head back against the wall and sighed. I _had_ to help the ghosts.

The portrait hole opened and Harry cursed loudly, helping me to my feet, getting a good scolding from the Fat Lady on language. "Are you alright? What did he do to you?" He asked, totally over reacting.

"Nothing, I contacted a spirit for him." I said nonchalantly, like people did that everyday. He frowned, totally confused. I sighed. "I let a spirit talk through me to him. It's just a little exhausting is all." He shook his head and dragged me inside the common room, which was full of people, talking and laughing.

He pushed me into a chair, muttering, "Oh, just a little exhausting my ass, nearly passed out on the floor—"

"I'm _fine._" I said softly, but he ignored me completely, settling down at my feet, still glaring at the floor. "Harry, I talk to the dead. Of _course_ the ghosts are going to come calling, I'm surprised people haven't started asking. Someone asked me about it at dinner." I sunk deeper into the chair, exhausted.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, leaning over. I groaned and nudged Harry with my foot, letting him explain. He would contradict me anyway. I pressed my fingertips to my temples and closed my eyes, sorting and organizing my spirits and their information. Call me OCD, but it made things a lot easier to deal with. This way, they weren't running my life, like they could be.

I paused at the 'Draco Malfoy file'. It would be useful, and invaluable if I was to lose it. I stored it in a safe place, and opened my eyes. People had noticed my appearance, and were starting to tell their friends, stealing glances over their shoulders.

"Come on, your wiped. Let's go up to the dormitories. Sleep is what you need." Hermione said firmly and helped me up, and to the staircase. I waved quickly to Harry, Ron, Ginny and the twins as Hermione nearly forced me up the stairs.

She showed me to a bed, and sat me down. "Ok, I _know_ you had to touch Malfoy today, and _please_ tell me you managed to get something off of him." She said in a rush. I surprised myself by laughing.

"I 'got something'. I got more than I would ever want to know, but I'm not going to go through it now. There is a lot of stuff." I said, and Hermione grinned, bouncing around the room in excitement.

"Oh, _yes._ I have longed for this day." She bounced over to her trunk and started pulling things out. I hung up my cloak, contemplating how to ask her for help on researching the ring.

"Hermione...you know you're way around the library, right?" I started, changing quickly as I heard footsteps on the stairs. I was still a little unsure of my body; I was still 'much to thin', according to Mum and Mrs. Weasley. My ribs still showed, and my shoulder blades were pointy still.

"Oh, of course. Why do you ask?" she asked. She came over and sat crosslegged on the foot of my bed, closing the hangings as some more girls came up curiously.

"I need some help researching something for Nearly Headless Nick, whenever you have the time. He wanted me to well…not make him a ghost anymore. In fact, all of them asked that, but I couldn't do it, I don't know how." I said quietly. Hermione gasped.

"I thought it was only Peeves who was there, that's what Harry made it sound like. But _all_ of them? Wow. Of course I'll help you, I've wanted to look it up ever since I met you." She said, and I felt a warm, unsure feeling I had never felt before; friendship. It was hard to believe I was a year older than her.

"Thank you." I said, and she just smiled, got up, and went to her bed. Girls were looking over curiously, so I closed the hangings again, and hid my left hand under the covers as the ring began to glow again.

Slowly, I fell asleep at my first night of Hogwarts. That night, I had the same dream I always had, the relived moment of what I thought was Harry being killed. It played in my head like a mantra, until I finally dreamed no more.


	36. Chapter 36

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Six-

CECILY POV

I woke up early the next morning, shaking. I had terrible nightmares last night, but I couldn't remember a single one other than the usual dream, not a fact, or a face, nothing. I swiftly got dressed and packed my bag. It was a Potions day, a day I was actually looking forward to. Snape had never seen me (Dad wouldn't let him), and he had switched to Defense against the Dark Arts this year, and a Professor Slughorn was teaching potions. I would never have to see him in a classroom, which cheered me up.

Hermione woke up and I waited for her to get ready, quietly observing the group of girls in the farthest corner from me, whispering and laughing, frequently looking my way. I ignored it and soon forgot about it as Hermione and I joined the boys in the Great Hall. The sky was a perfect cloudless blue today, no traces of last nights storm remained.

I shot an uncertain glance at the Slytherin table as I sat down, and was immersed in the current conversation. "Cecily, there you are, from what I've heard, you've got a way with a broom." Ron said energetically, and I threw a dirty look at Harry, who grinned.

"Harry seems to think so." I said, and gave myself a portion of eggs that made him frown. He still thought I should be eating more, but I was fine, he was just being overprotective. "But I don't have a broom, and I have no skills whatsoever. All I did was get on the thing." I took a bite of eggs as they huddled again, talking heatedly.

"You should totally try out, I am; I played last year." Ginny said, swinging into a seat beside me, making me jump. I shrugged.

"How flexible are you?" George asked from the current argument the boys were having. I raised an eyebrow, fully intending that to be my answer, but Ginny started talking.

"She's as flexible as hell." Ginny said from my other side, and it was her turn for the dirty look, which she didn't even see. She was gesturing wildly with her fork. "I'm serious, you should have seen her get something from underneath the table, I can't remember what it was, but she just bent in half like _presto._" She said, and I ducked as she shot her hands into the air to prove her point, nearly hitting me in the side of the face.

"Oh, sorry…anyway, yeah, buck up Cecily. Take the credit." She said, finally seeing my glare.

"Well, everyone can bend in half and touch the floor, that doesn't count—" I said while Hermione snorted, turning pink.

"Oh, yeah, sure, that's something everything can do." She said sarcastically, not helping at all. "I can't even touch my toes, much less the floor." She continued, shocking me.

"Seriously? I thought everyone could you know, touch the floor." I said, and she shook her head and opened a book. I turned unwillingly back to the boys. "What position would I play, anyway? Harry's Seeker, and I will _not_ be Keeper, it's too dangerous." I said firmly.

"We could use some Chasers." Harry said eagerly. I forgot he was Quidditch Captain this year. "Ginny's trying out for Chaser too, you wouldn't be alone. They need to be fast and flexible, and from what I've heard, you are both." George spoke up. I forgot the twins were the Beaters. Lovely.

"Well, _again_, I don't have a broom, so you're out of luck. Besides, the games we played with apples and stuff in the backyard is nowhere _near_ a Quidditch game." I said. They had convinced me to play as a Chaser during the summer, using one of the older brooms. Thinking back now, there were several warning signs that they were going to do this…

"Don't be so sure." Fred said with a nasty grin as the bell rang.

"Don't you _dare._" I said, glaring at all of the boys as we walked out. I didn't know what they were planning, but the twins' planning anything was never any good. Fred and George split off with Ginny, and I followed Ron, Harry and Hermione to Potions.

Professor Slughorn was nice enough, very grand and pompous, but nice. I was really interested in Potions; it was the most interesting class I could take. He set us to work making a potion Draught of Death, which didn't make me happy. He said the best potion would win some sort of luck potion, but I wasn't interested in winning, I was interested in passing.

I started slow, lighting my cauldron's water to boil, and read the directions three times. I was dead nervous, and my hands were shaking. For some reason, I had no trouble identifying ingredients, so I was doing ok, for the moment.

I started measuring Armadillo Bile when the dungeon door opened, and Snape strode in, smirking. I instantly realized why Harry and most of my family and friends hated him. His eyes were black and held no happiness or spark, and long, greasy strands of hair fell down in his face and around his shoulders.

I yelped as bile flowed onto my fingers, I hadn't been paying attention. Resisting the urge to curse (it was a terrible habit the boys were starting to press on me), I grabbed a rag and wiped off my fingers, and then carefully poured the extra in the bottle, ignoring Snape at all costs.

"Snape! Welcome, welcome, what can I do for you?!" Slughorn said excitedly, a stark contrast to Snape himself.

"I simply came to see how your first class as Potions master is coming along." He said silkily, glancing around the room. I looked down as his gaze got close, and read my next directions, pouring the bile in. My potion hissed and turned black, the color it was supposed to be, which surprised me. I felt eyes on me and looked up, to see Snape staring at me strangely from across the room, an unreadable expression on his face. Slughorn was babbling at his side, oblivious to the fact that he wasn't listening. I bit my lip and looked back at my directions.

I was on my last step, and had no idea what it meant. I wasn't about to ask Hermione, she was looking quite frustrated, her hair poofing in the warming room. I glanced at Ron, who was frowning and stirring what looked like cement, and then I looked over at Harry, who seemed absorbed in his book. Fantastic.

What was a dried spine of lion fish? I had never heard of it, and it wasn't in my kit. Also, what was the difference between powdered and dried? I went to the cupboard, feeling Snape's eyes on me. Distractedly, I peeked in the cupboard, and found a small amount, so I took what I needed and scurried back to my seat, hopping nimbly over Malfoy's quickly outstretched leg; he was trying to trip me.

Did I mention he was in this class, and had been shooting me death glares the whole time? Well, he was. "One minute!" Slughorn called, so I quickly went to pour it in. Everyone else was done, and Hermione grabbed my wrist before I poured it in.

"What are you adding? Its powdered spine of lion fish not dried." She said tiredly. I showered her the book, it was dried, not powdered, and a look of horror crossed her face as I added my _dried_ spine of lion fish. I had no idea if there was a difference, but from the look on Hermione's face, there was.

The potion started to get a tiny fog across the top as Slughorn started coming around. His test was dropping a leaf in, which would instantly curl up and die, turning to ash, if the potion was correct. Snape's eyes were making me even more nervous, so I held my right hand firmly in my left, trying to minimize the shaking. Hermione was looking bad; she was currently losing to Harry, which I could tell bugged her.

I bowed my head, my nervousness reaching a peak as Slughorn dropped the leaf in mine. And after a moment, he started clapping, making me flinch.

"I think we have a winner, well done!" He said, and the class reluctantly joined in, making me keep my eyes glued to the floor. "I believe this belongs to you." He held out the tiny clear vial, and I took it, but he grabbed my wrist, and examined my left hand, planting a kiss on it.

My face had frozen, I was trying madly to keep his soul information out, I really didn't want to know anything; but pulling away would be rude. "Fascinating, congratulations." He said, finally dropping my hand. I smiled weakly at him and started to pack up quickly with the rest of the class. Snape was still watching me.

Hermione vanished my potion, trying to flatten her hair. I rolled the vial across the table to Harry, who rolled it back. "Take it, I don't want it. I owe you." I said, and he slowly took it, with a mix of excitement and sadness on his face.

"You don't owe me anything…listen, will you be ok?" He asked. I suddenly realized that I would be in this room all day, with the exception of lunch. Uneasiness crept into my stomach, but I ignored it.

"Of course, I won't get lost, and Potions isn't so hard." I reassured him, and myself. He bought it though, and left, shooting glances behind him. I stayed where I was, trying to keep my shaking hands under control. I looked down at the floor, letting my short hair provide some cover as students began to file in.

"Cecily." A voice said suddenly, making me jump. I looked up, and it was Snape. The blood drained from my face, making me slightly angry inside. He shouldn't inspire fear in me. I shouldn't have to be afraid.

He stared at my face as if he had never seen the sun before, and it was making me nervous. "Yes?" I asked, my voice softer than ever in my fear. Snape's face twisted at the sound of my voice, staring me. It looked like I was causing him pain.

"Congratulations." He said quietly, and strode quickly out of the dungeon. I sat there, totally shocked. From what I had heard, Snape was supposed to be a heartless git, but here he was, being perfectly polite, and talking to me nicely, unlike Harry, who was supposedly bad-mouthed by him.

"What did he say to you?" An angry voice said in my ear. It was one of the twins, and the other was coming over, looking furious. I blinked, still surprised.

"Yeah, he was looking at you funny, like you were some sort of priceless artifact or something, the git." Said the other as he sat down on my other side, his expression stormy.

"Nothing." I said, still dazed, my voice even quieter with my new emotion. "He _congratulated_ me." I said, and I saw the twins exchange looks. I continued staring at the spot Snape had been.

"And he wasn't sarcastic or mean at all." I said in wonder, and before the twins could say anything, class started. Slughorn talked for a few minutes, and then set the class out on a more difficult potion.

I was about to start it, but the twins started interrogating me. "He wasn't mean or anything? He didn't say anything that didn't make sense?" One of them asked, and I realized he was George, I finally remembered, he had been wearing the blue sweater today.

"Well, besides the obvious congratulations, which is supposedly completely out of character for him, no. He was acting strange though, he was looking at me like I was the sun, and he had never seen it before. It was strange." I said, starting my potion, my hands shaking again.

The twins grumbled the whole class, unhappy to be back after their 'grand escape' last year. Supposedly, they had to retake everything they missed last year, which was about half a year. **(I just realized, the twins are supposed to be gone, so bear with me here.)**

I managed to complete the 7th year potion with no problems, but it wasn't fantastic. Slughorn was impressed though. The twins swore with a vengeance to get to the bottom of the 'Snape Mystery'.

Slughorn's next class was with some fifth years, and that pleased me, Ginny would be in this class. The 5th year potion was easy, I actually helped Ginny with hers, and we chatted the whole time. I mentioned the Snape thing, and her reaction was very much like the twins. She said that would be _the_ topic at lunch, which was next.

She practically dragged me there, and Harry was waiting, his face as dark as a thundercloud. Uh oh.


	37. Chapter 37

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Seven-

CECILY POV

"It's no big deal." I said instantly, before he could say anything. I sat down, and he immediately sat in front of me.

"Oh yes it is," He growled. "I don't want him even thinking about you." I rolled my eyes.

"Harry, I'm seventeen, can't die in some cases, and I have a weapon on me at all times." I held up my left hand, raising an eyebrow. My ring sparkled under the candles, and in the light streaming in the windows. "I honestly think he isn't much of a threat." I folded my arms.

Harry hesitated. "Well, it's not that you can't protect yourself, it's well…you look like Mum, right?" He said, and I shrugged, unsure at what he was getting at. "Well…Snape went to school at the same time as Mum…and well…he had a crush on her." He finished quickly, looking at me.

I was speechless. I had no idea what to think, never mind what I had to say. "Oh," I said finally, and he rolled his eyes. "And I look that much like Mum?" I asked.

"Well, no offense to your Mum, but I think you're much prettier, but her face is definitely there." Ginny said matter-of-factly, much to my embarrassment. I was silent. The rest of lunch consisted of the twins taking bets on how bad I could hurt Snape and how it would do the world a favor, and Quidditch. I pointedly ignored both topics, instead, I ate slowly, not really paying attention to what I was eating.

I went back to Potions after lunch, and I told the boys I would meet them at the Quidditch pitch, they wanted me to fly for them (for reasons I will never fully understand). My favorite Potions class was with the first years, I was almost an assistant to Slughorn when a student managed to start his whole cauldron on fire.

Putting my bag over my shoulder, I quietly said goodbye to Slughorn and walked out the door, and straight into Snape. "Oh!" I said softly as I fell backwards, throwing out my arms to catch my fall.

"My apologizes." Snape said silkily, and held out his hand to help me up, surprising me again, and I hesitated. I was left handed, and I really didn't want to give him my hand…

"I'm alright, thank you." I said softly, and stood up on my own, beating the dust out of my robes, moving to the side, fully expecting Snape to go on into the office to talk to Slughorn…but he didn't.

"How do you like Hogwarts?" He asked. Oh no. Was he making small talk with me? Wow.

"I-It's wonderful." I answered honestly. I frowned as I sensed something sinister. He was planning on helping someone kill somebody if the need arose…I was suddenly very afraid. I knew he was intent on killing someone, someone here. Me? _Harry?_

"That's good to hear, I'm glad you're adjusting so…easily." He continued, his eyes boring in to me. "I have a favor to ask of you—"

"Cecily!" Someone shouted, and I turned. The twins were storming down the hall, looking quite frightening. Snape stepped back hastily, as Fred took my arm and started to walk away, and George followed, giving Snape a dirty look.

"Is she alright? She's so pale." I heard George mutter as he caught up. I didn't realize I was letting my emotions be so noticeable, and I started to lock away the fear, but it was slow going.

"I don't know, but Harry isn't going to be happy." Fred said, and I realized there was grass under my feet. My mind was still spinning on what I had sensed. He was going to help someone at Hogwarts kill somebody. But who? _Why?_

"_What the bloody hell happened?!"_ I heard Harry roar from the middle of the field, and I could hear him running over.

I barely heard Fred and George explaining. I was chasing what I had sensed, trying to identify more players. I gasped and my hands flew to my mouth; I had found the connection in the information from Malfoy. He was going to try and kill someone at Hogwarts for sure, someone close to me. My mind immediately flashed to Harry, and my heart twisted painfully in fear.

"Should we go to the hospital wing, or Dumbledore?" I heard Hermione ask in hushed tones.

I quickly shook my head, dispersing my wild thoughts, taking them by surprise. "Dumbledore, I'll explain on the way." I started off but Harry grabbed my elbow and yanked me back.

"There is nothing to explain! Snape is stalking you, that's all there is to it. Now I want to know exactly what he said to you." I hadn't seen him this angry in a long time.

"Listen to me," I said, my voice falling sharply as my fear increased. "I could tell Voldemort was going try and kill you when you went to the Department of Mysteries before he even knew. I just picked something up off of Snape, he's going to help Malfoy kill someone, unless I do something about it." I ended up whispering the end.

Dead silence fell at my words. "Right, Dumbledore." Hermione said finally, took my arm, and walked quickly with me across the grounds, the others following swiftly, drawing their wands.

We strode quickly through the entrance hall, and right before we were about to scale the Marble Staircase, Dumbledore came from the direction of the dungeons, and I froze. From the last time I had seen him, (this afternoon at lunch) his life had been cut sharply short.

"No," I gasped, as he drew even with us, a frown deepening on his face at my expression, and the panic on everyone else's faces.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked, and everyone looked at me. I was just about to say something when a girl I didn't know walked up, carrying a package.

"For you, Professor." She said. He took the package, thanking her, and she walked away.

"Don't open it." I breathed, and he looked at me strangely as he started to open the top. My death sense was screaming out his name, he was going to die, whatever was in that package was going to kill him. The hall started to fill up as students were coming down for dinner, and the sound slipped down, as the whole world sounded like it was underwater as I could sense the thing in the package get ready to strike…

Without thinking, I snatched the pouch from Dumbledore, ripping the paper, and a black necklace fell across my hand, and my knees immediately collapsed, my whole body going limp. I seemed to take a backseat as myself, and burning pain was starting to numb my senses…

I barely registered that I had learned something. Spells could affect me if an _object_ was cursed.

My eyes were closed, but everything seemed bright and harsh as I felt my body swish from side to side, rolling me over and over, then I was jerked suddenly upright, my arms floating to shoulder level…

The pain exploded behind my eyelids, making me open my mouth to scream, but I could barely get it open, it opened in a tiny 'o', my eyes snapping open in shock; but I saw nothing, only darkness. Suddenly, my ears opened, like a cork from a bottle of wine, and all I could hear was screaming, terrible, pain filled cries, that were high, clear resounding notes, which echoed…

In a rush of air, my body fell, and the last thing I felt was the cold stone floor beneath me.


	38. Chapter 38

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Eight-

CECILY POV

My spirits had exploded, like a dam in front of a river, and they strengthened me. I was dead confused. (No pun intended) Usually, a cursed object hurt and even killed people. I felt stronger than I had been in years, the spirits running like adrenaline through my veins. I felt…alive.

My ring felt like it had expanded, with room for more information, more power, and more energy. I herded all the spirits in and sealed it off once more, and opened my eyes. I was relieved to see I wasn't in St. Mungo's, but in the hospital wing. The curtains had been drawn around my bed, but I could hear a very loud conversation.

"What happened?!" I heard Mum say almost angrily, and the sound of feet flying down the hospital wing, and suddenly, the curtains were pulled open.

"Oh, hey Mum." I said, sitting up in bed, wanting badly to get out of it. I felt almost jittery with my new strength. Mum's face was shocked, and Dumbledore of all people poked his head around the corner, looking just as surprised.

"Cecily." He said stupidly. I grinned in response. My spirits (emotions, not spirits in the ring) were higher than they had been my whole life.

"That's me!" I said cheerfully, and then I was tackled with a hug from Mum, nearly suffocating me. "Mum, I'm fine, really. It's Dumbledore you should be worried about…I take it you know?" I asked around Mum's hair.

He shook his head, surprising me. "What should I be knowing?" He asked.

"Well, the necklace thing from the package should be a huge hint. I well, _sensed_ that two people would work together, if necessary, to…kill you." I finished quickly, but steamrolled ahead, looking at the blankets. "I found that it was—" The doors flew open and Harry, Sirius, Dad, and the Weasley's came in, looking furious. In front of them was Snape. My face froze instantly.

"Headmaster, I have examined that necklace. Ms. Potter here is lucky to—" He looked over, expecting to see a motionless body, but upon seeing me, he stopped short. I was scared to even blink.

"This is impossible, this necklace could have killed her, it easily could have, but…" He trailed off, running his hands through his greasy hair. My family edged around him and came over, and I was tackled with more hugs.

"Thank you Severus." Dumbledore said, dismissing him. Snape swept out, and we were alone again. I could feel my body relax after he left. "I think, we should start from the beginning, and you should explain your parts of the story." He said after a few moments.

"Sure." I said, apprehensive, yet bubbling with energy inside.

"When it touched you, you dropped instantly. You started shaking, I kicked the necklace away, but we couldn't rouse you. Then you were…moving side to side. Suddenly you were up in the air…" Hermione said, but stopped, looking pale.

"You started screaming, these terrible, high pitched yet perfectly clear screams…but they were filled with so much pain. …And then you fell. You were brought up to the hospital wing about an hour ago." Harry finished. He looked so angry, yet very scared. His hand was almost crushing my bony one. I lightly squeezed it reassuringly and made his face express so much shock as I smiled dazzlingly at him, the happiest he had ever seen me.

"Now, tell us what you know, please." Dumbledore said calmly enough, but his eyes were on fire, two blue molten pools.

"I had finished with Potions for the day, and I was walking out the door, when I ran literally, straight into Snape. He started talking to me…when I realized, sensed, whatever you want to call it, that he might help someone kill somebody else…here at Hogwarts. He started to ask me a favor, when the twins came to find me; I was supposed to be at the Quidditch pitch.

"I was to busy trying to figure out who Snape was supposed to help." My voice had dropped to a whisper, my energy and emotions dropping sharply. "I had accidentally bumped into Draco Malfoy in the hallway, and I had accidentally obtained all of his…soul information, but I didn't look through it, I didn't want to. I found the connection I was looking for there. By that time, the twins had brought me to the Quidditch pitch. I told them everything, short hand of course, and started out for the castle.

I looked at the blankets as I spoke. "When you came up from the dungeons, I could tell that the attack was going to happen fast, when that girl came and gave you that package. Instantly, I could tell whatever was going to kill you was in there…so I grabbed it. I must have torn the paper…" I broke off, gathered my wits, and continued, even though I had started to shake.

"Draco Malfoy had been ordered by Voldemort to kill you. Snape is under an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy to help and protect him." I whispered after a moment. I didn't want to say it, it was creepy and disturbing for one thing, and because I knew Voldemort would do anything to succeed. He would not be pleased this first attempt failed.

"I would be careful. Whatever you are doing, he knows. And he's—" I quickly swiped at my eyes, before the tears could run. I had touched Voldemort, well, he had hit me, kicked me, etc. And I now had that information, more than I had ever wanted to know. All the pieces fit. Silence descended like a plague onto the ward.

"I believe I owe you thanks for my life." Dumbledore said finally, looking his age for once.

"There's no need, it didn't hurt me…it made me stronger." I said, unsure how to put it. I continued quickly, seeing their faces. 'Well, um, it was sort of um, death meeting death, right? So they kind of just…joined. I feel much stronger, almost as strong as I was before…well, I'm stronger now." I finished lamely.

"So, are you going to prosecute them?" Sirius said, making it quite clear who 'them' was. Dumbledore frowned, and shook his head.

"We have no physical evidence." He said quietly, and my heart dropped like a stone. They were dangerous, and not all of their failed attempts would affect people who were supernatural like me.

"Then you need to investigate. For the safety for your staff and students." Dad said firmly. Dumbledore nodded after a moment.

Soon, Dumbledore was taking people to his office for the secret investigation, I was cleared from the hospital wing from a very flustered Madam Pompfrey, I had nothing but sore ribs from hitting the floor.

I didn't want to go back to Gryffindor tower yet, so all the 'kids' stayed at the hospital wing, were we had guaranteed safety and privacy. We were supposed to act like nothing happened, but I was finding that difficult.

"Hey, anyone for Quidditch? You never got to fly after all." Ron pointed at the window; the sun had started to rise, perfect for Quidditch. I frowned. I guess that was normal activity.

"Sure." I sighed, and we headed out. It was very early, few students were up, in fact, we only ran into ghosts, which was a problem in itself. They wanted to talk to me obviously. I hadn't even discussed this with Dumbledore yet, I didn't want to kill his ghosts without warning him.

Finally, we made it to the pitch. I had a school broom; thankfully, I didn't have one of my own yet, but all of the rest of the boys had their own brooms. Hermione and Ginny sat down to chat as the boys half dragged me to the center of the field.

"Ready?" Harry asked excitedly, all traces of fear gone. I kicked off, giving him his answer. Fred and George released the balls before zooming up to join us.

Instantly, one of the Bludgers pelted at me, so I held on with one hand, and rolled all the way around the broom to avoid it. I didn't know if it was legal, but it was fun. I sat upright again to get stares from the guys.

"Harry, the snitch is about ten feet behind you on your right." I said primly, and he spun around, muttering curses and things I couldn't hear as he bolted after it. Fred threw a Quaffle at my face, but I freaked out and reflex made me use my broom like a gymnastics bar and kick it back at him with both feet.

He ducked just in time, and Ron caught it from the hoops, laughing so hard, his ears were turning red. "You could play any position you wanted, you know that, right?" He choked out finally, still laughing at Fred, who really wasn't laughing.

"You are supposed to _catch_ it, not attack me with it." He said disapprovingly, making Ron laugh harder. Fred hit one of the Bludgers at him, and what followed was a loud curse and a _thunk_.

"Now…catch!" George said and threw it at me. I barely caught it off of my fingertips, and tossed it back as fast as I could. Harry blew by, still chasing after the snitch as we continued. The twins had me try to score on Ron over and over again from different ways. Ron was ok-ish, when he thought people weren't watching.

"Ron, just don't think about it. It's a reflex. When you see it coming…punch it, kick it, bite it for all I care. Just block it." I said, coming up along side after fetching the ball again. The sun had rose fully, but it was Saturday, so we didn't have any classes. Surprisingly enough, I was enjoying Quidditch. It was fun to fly all sorts of patterns, and fire the ball at the Keeper. Of course, nobody was playing defense…but the twins were onto my thinking.

"Yeah, Ron, we are going to play defense, alright? Block it if we don't." George said with his usual tact. I glared at them, but returned to center field, trying to ignore their comments, like: "Picture her on a Firebolt, she would totally _dominate—"_

I quickly sailed out of range, and spun the Quaffle under my fingers. There was a bunch of soul residue on the thing, and it was quite interesting. Someone named Wood had kicked it so hard it cracked.

"_Hello?_ Are you going to try and score?" Fred bellowed. I frowned, pretending to think about it. Then, I was diving underneath them, around them, ducking a well placed kick from George, doing a barrel roll, and then I rolled the ball down my broom handle and kicked it.

It ruffled Fred's hair as I went right over his head and Ron kicked it firmly away, looking pleased. His reflexes were getting a lot better. Loud applause below made us all look down. Mum, Dad, Sirius and the Weasley's were beaming.

Dad and Sirius looked dead envious, so I came down and thrust it in their general direction. When Dad finally got the broom (after a furious battle between him and Sirius for it) slightly worse for wear, I tossed him the Quaffle, and he zoomed off like a little kid. Sirius pouted without realizing it, making me laugh. It was hard to believe that barely four hours ago, I was cursed, and found out about a murder plot that could destroy Hogwarts…


	39. Chapter 39

-The Graveyard, Chapter Thirty Nine-

CECILY POV

It seemed unreal to go back to school on Monday. People who I didn't even know where coming up and asking me questions, if I was ok, what had happened... Dumbledore had expanded my classes, so I was now in Divination, cheating at a palm reading test because Trelawney was bugging me. She thought I was a 'pathway to death' and wouldn't leave me alone.

Harry was in this class too with Ron, so he wasn't getting any rest either. Trelawney was beside herself though. "Look deep into the lines…tell me what you see…" she said, her hand trembling with excitement in mine. The whole class was watching, so that only added pressure. I quickly cheated and got her soul information.

"Well, I—" I started softly, but she squealed with excitement, cutting off my beginnings of an answer. "Your," I snuck a peek at the book, "Life line…tells me…that you outlived two brothers and will live into the hundreds." I said truthfully, and she gaped at me.

"And, well, your heart line tells me you have great compassion for your work and students." I fudged a bit, but she beamed, so I just went with it. "Furthermore…" I thought quickly. "In your long life, you will show great compassion and kindness to everyone you meet." I stated the obvious, but she broke into enthusiastic applause.

"Well done!! Very, very, very GOOD! Oh my goodness, she is a window to the supernatural! To secrets we can't even dream of! Oh, well, that's the bell; your star chart is due tomorrow." She finished, and I stood up quickly and went back to Ron and Harry and quickly stuffed my bag.

"That was a amazing load of –" Ron started, but broke off with something of a growl as he saw Snape waiting at the end of the corridor. He hadn't seen us, so I dragged both of them behind a suit of armor.

As the crowd thinned, he looked around, then strode over to the ladder and climbed up. I shoved Ron and Harry out and nearly flew with both of them down to History of Magic. Hermione was not pleased, but I was. I could avoid him easily, this school was big enough, right?

* * *

The next day, Harry and I went to see Dumbledore. I had to talk to him, and much to my displeasure, Harry was helping him find Horcruxes and destroy them. If that was a reason as any to kill them, Voldemort would do it now, but they wouldn't listen to me. I had successfully avoided Snape, I was actually getting good at it. I stopped worrying and focused on talking to Dumbledore.

Harry waited outside as I sat down with Dumbledore. I told him about the ghosts, which he said he was ok with, if I ever figured it out, it wasn't up to him to decide. We also discussed protecting the castle, and when I told him I could fight, he was confused, I couldn't use a wand.

I explained the physical fighting, and he reluctantly agreed. I was thrilled. The one thing I had taught myself to do was coming in handy. I had mentioned it in passing to Mum and Dad, but I hadn't practiced in a while. I left Harry and Dumbledore to their Horcrux finding and left to go practice.

The halls were quiet, so I walked quickly and soundlessly back to Gryffindor tower and changed into cotton pants and a tank top. I grabbed my cloak from Dumbledore and stretched out before leaving Gryffindor Tower. I always stretched (if possible) then walked around a bit before sparring.

Dinner was still going on as I walked past. I was going to practice on the grounds, just simple stuff. I really needed a target, but I really couldn't beat someone up…I dreamt of beating up Draco Malfoy as I descended the steps of the castle and started to walk down the gravel path leading deeper into the grounds.

"It's rude to avoid someone." Snape's voice rang out from the top of the steps. I stiffened and turned, no longer afraid. I was angry I hadn't heard him following me, though.

"He should have been more careful, he knew what the ring could do. Pass that on to Voldemort for me." I snapped, and turned back around, and kept walking. I heard his footsteps on the gravel, so I turned and glared up at him. The castle was now behind some trees, we were at a bend in the path, but turrets still towered over us.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Lily." He said it, and then pain flashed through his eyes.

"Do you really think Mum would have wanted you doing this?" I asked, not in the mood to deal with emotions. "Professor, just stop." I ended in a whisper, then turned and started walking again, but his hand grabbed the crook of my arm.

"Let go of me." I said calmly enough, but my insides were boiling. I counted to three and said, "If you don't stop, I'll have to hurt you." I said again, and he laughed. It was dark, very dark.

"I don't care what your mother would have wanted for me, because she _didn't_ want anything for me. I was an object of enjoyment to her, a tool." He spat, and he tightened his grip.

I whirled into him and smashed my fist into his face. It felt so good. I felt his nose break. Calmly, I pulled away from him as he bent over in pain and started to walk back to school, when I saw clearly on the steps, Draco and his cronies. What fun.

"I'd call them off if I were you." I said to Snape, who was up and looking ugly. He only smiled a truly evil smile, and pulled out something I would never see again, thick leather straps. All the blood drained from my face. Not again…not now…

He grinned at my expression, and lunged. I kicked upward and caught him right under the jaw. I heard it crack, and he fell back as Draco and his 'guard' slowly formed a circle around me, and were constantly in motion, wands drawn.

"You should have done your homework, Draco. Spells don't affect me, not even your stunt with the necklace could do it." I said totally unafraid for once. I was out for revenge.

He snorted. "Prove it." He said smoothly, and that must have been some sort of signal, because one of the crones moved out of the circle and tried to lock his arms around my throat. In seconds, I had body slammed him into the ground and I kicked him in the ribs over to Draco.

"Obviously, you just did that for me. Nice going." I said, laughing. I snuck a look at the castle. If he managed to take me, how long would it take for them to notice? I ducked as the other crone ran at me, and I grabbed his collar from behind and threw him onto the pile. "Now what, Draco? Maybe a spell or two? A dragon comes from nowhere and picks me up?" I was jeering him, trying to distract him, and it worked. His face flushed, unusual for his usually pale skin.

Then Snape's wand was pressing down hard on my throat. I could smell him, his blood from his jaw dripping onto my bare shoulder. I gasped for air; I knew what he was doing. When I passed out from lack of oxygen, he would probably kill me and be on good terms with Voldemort again, especially if he delivered the ring.

Black spots began to blossom across my vision as I dug my fingernails into his hands, trying to create space between his wand and my throat, because his wand was starting to burn my flesh. I couldn't physically touch a wand for too long, it would completely burn away the skin.

I slammed my foot into his instep at the same time I elbowed him hard in his stomach as well as I was capable, Draco had busied himself with binding my wrists together with one of the straps. He loosened his grip just enough, I jumped straight up and kicked both of them square on the forehead as the huge doors to the castle opened.

Panting, Snape was not to be deterred; he tackled me and the two crones were up and trying to hold me down. I twisted like a snake out of their grasp as I heard several patterns of footsteps running down the trail. I hit crone one in the face with a tight roundhouse kick, and he dropped again.

Draco was passed out cold, I leapt over him and grabbed crone two on the front of the shirt with my hands. I slipped, my hands were so close together, and he punched me hard, right in the eye. I fell back as I heard Snape get to his feet, swearing.

"_STUPEFY!" _A female voice shrieked, and I heard Snape fall behind me. I blinked, it was hard to see with one eye; and head-butted crone two in the face as he dragged me to my feet. He cursed but slung me over his shoulder, and set off at a fast jog as the footsteps rounded the bend.

I thrashed on his shoulder like a fish out of water. He was big, at least three times the size as me; my kicks to his stomach were doing no good. I looked up to see Professor McGonagall, Harry, and Dumbledore aiming curses. I banged on his spine with my bound hands, but he kept right on running.

"You son of a—" the curses flying out of my mouth were cut off as I was lifted a good twenty feet into the air, still on the idiot's shoulder. Then, whatever had the crone moved, and I fell off.

I tucked and rolled, but it still hurt, my ribs were still sore from two days ago. I stood up, ready to fight if necessary, but instead found myself face to face with the man who had to be Hagrid. I hadn't had a chance to meet him, but I could tell instantly who he was from Harry's description. He had crone two by the neck of his robes, like a kitten.

"Only a Potter could be in that much trouble." He grumbled. "You must be Cecily." He continued as a slightly winded Professor McGonagall and Harry ran up. Dumbledore was securing the others I had taken out farther up the trail.

"Cecily, are you alright?" They both asked at the same time, spinning me around to get a good look.

"Hagrid!" Harry said, noticing him for the first time. He huffed and shook crone two by the robes, who was trying to Stun him. Suddenly, he turned and shot Stunners at McGonagall and Harry.

McGonagall barely deflected hers, but Harry's hit him in the side I wasn't covering and he collapsed. I flew down beside him as McGonagall Disarmed and Stunned crone two. I shook him with my imprisoned hands, but of course, he didn't move. I was freaking out, this had never happened to anyone I cared about before, much less right in front of me.

The most intense fear I had ever felt in my life raced like lightning in my veins, making my heart pound as I shook him again, harder this time, ignoring the shriek of pain my wrists sent up my nerves. I wanted to call his name, but I couldn't speak, the fear was crushing my common sense.

"_Ennervate."_ McGonagall said sharply, pointing her wand at Harry. Almost instantly, he stirred, and I cried out in relief. He had looked very, _very_ dead to me, and that couldn't happen. Never.

"Wha?" Harry mumbled almost sleepily. I had studied of course, what spells did, even though I couldn't make them, but I was still scared. This was normal, but it shouldn't have even happened!

"Harry. Harry!?" I croaked finally, and shook him again, which was difficult, my hands were starting to turn numb, and I couldn't bite off the strap, I had tried when I had been with Voldemort.

He bolted up, making me flinch. He looked wildly around as Dumbledore was striding over, looking furious. Harry grabbed my shoulders, fully awake, and swore explosively when he saw my eye, which was open, but turning darker by the second. He swore angrily again as he noticed the harsh red burn line across my throat.

He carefully tilted my head for a better look, and I let him, only wincing when he lightly touched the deep, dark ugly bruise gently with his fingertip, even though his hands were shaking with anger. Then he noticed my hands, which were in my lap. He swore loudly again, and pulled out his wand.

"_Diffindo!"_ He said angrily, and the strap fell away. I rubbed my wrists, ugly red marks had appeared. I would have bruises, that was for sure.

_To be continued…_


	40. Chapter 40

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty-

CECILY POV

Harry seized my hands and examined my wrists as Dumbledore strode over, looking frightening. His eyes were two fiery blue pools on his face, and his wand was lit and raised, illuminating us in a pale white glow. Dumbledore had three wands in his other hand, and I assumed they belonged to Draco, Crone one and Snape.

"Are you alright?' Dumbledore asked patiently. I had never seen him this angry before. I realized that he had still trusted Snape. Now, he had proof of what he had been doing…

"Fine." I said softly as my hands tingled, the blood had started flowing in them again.

"It's not _fine."_ Harry hissed. "You were nearly kidnapped _again,_ got beaten up—"

"I wasn't _beaten_ up. I've had a lot worse." I reminded him, and he muttered something I couldn't hear and helped me up. I stretched out my arms, and rubbed my wrists as Dumbledore said something to Professor McGonagall, who looked fierce. She nodded and strode off towards the forest.

"Thank you Hagrid." I said, realization sitting in on how close I had been to being killed. Voldemort didn't want me alive anymore, and suddenly, I felt very vulnerable. Hagrid rumbled his response in an embarrassed sort of fashion.

Professor McGonagall strode out of the woods with Kingsley and Tonks, both looking extremely angry. Tonks muttered a distracted greeting and strode over to the unconscious bodies, pulling out her wand, while Kingsley stopped to get the whole story.

He escorted Harry and I to the hospital wing, taking notes as I recalled everything as well as I could. Kingsley left to talk to McGonagall just outside the door, and I listened to Harry pace around in small circles. I was quiet, sitting cross legged at the foot of a bed (I refused to get in it) with my eyes closed, letting a balm covering my black eye soak in.

My mind was tired, but my body thrummed with energy. I was thinking, reading through Voldemort's information to try and plot his next move. He would find out soon enough that Snape and Malfoy had failed, and there was proof of their attack. Voldemort would be furious.

I heard quick footsteps racing toward the hospital wing, so I cracked my good eye open to see Sirius stepping around Kingsley and hurrying over to us. He went to Harry first.

"Are you alright? Where's Cecily? I heard you were Stunned by that—"

"I'm fine Sirius. I was Stunned for less than a minute. Cecily is…" He glanced over at me, and Sirius looked over in surprise.

"You should be in bed." He said, crossing the aisle to stand in front of me. I sighed and closed my eye. "I got hit in the face and I have a few marks on me. I'm perfectly capable staying here." I said, and took his hand. It was a fist, he was obviously looking at my face.

I heard him gasp and flip my hand around to see the angry red welts peeking out from underneath the long sleeve t-shirt I had changed into. He swore and pushed back my sleeves, turning my hands this way and that to see the damage. I frowned, keeping my eyes closed.

Then Sirius's fingers were rubbing the frown lines on my forehead away, hesitating around my black eye. It didn't even hurt anymore; it was only tender if I touched it. He gently tilted my head to get a better look at it, his hands carefully controlled, so I knew he was angry.

"What's this?" He asked accusingly, his fingers carefully tracing down the side of my neck to my throat, so he wouldn't scare me. _Shit._

"Well, during the fight…Snape tried to strangle-me-with-his-wand. It only burned me a little." I rushed through the words, hesitantly peeking through my good eye. Sirius looked livid, his fingers starting to tremble as he traced the long thin burn going around my throat like a choker.

Before Sirius could say anything, Dumbledore and McGonagall came sweeping down the ward, looking serious. I closed my eye again as they stopped by us. "They have been locked in separate dungeons, and a bigger party will transport them to Azkaban as they await trial." He said.

I heard the light footsteps of Madam Pompfrey come over and a rag wiping off the gunk on my eye. I blinked, and found that everyone was watching me. "I take it they aren't Stunned anymore?" I asked, rubbing my temples. I was starting to get a headache; I hadn't slept, and the obvious attack was starting to exhaust me.

"No, but all exits from the dungeons are sealed with charms, and Aurors are standing by downstairs in case they somehow manage to get through." McGonagall said briskly, but she looked shaken.

"If you don't mind, I'd like a word with Snape." I said hesitantly. Everyone's faces froze. "I don't want to aggravate or beat him up or anything…I would just like a word is all. He can't hurt me, oh _honestly_," I said angrily, seeing Sirius's face, "If you're so worried, you can stand outside the goddamn door." I uncrossed my legs and slid off the bed.

"I'll do that," Sirius promised as Dumbledore looked surprised, but gave his permission. I frowned and let Sirius lead me out of the ward and through the hallways. The castle had a deadly calm about it; all the students were in their houses. I was extremely anxious though, my body was jittery.

We cautiously rounded the corner, as to not scare Tonks, who was standing guard. She looked stunned as I explained, but led me over. It was an old school cell; with the thick iron bars and the rough stones, but it was effective.

She cautiously opened the door, and I stepped soundlessly inside, Sirius standing right outside, already twitching. I gathered the information from Mum and him and strode over. He gave me a very ugly look, and stayed where he was, slumped on the floor, nursing his injuries.

"You were wrong. Mum loved you, cared about you." I started, sinking down crosslegged a few feet away. He glared soundlessly at me, and I realized his jaw was still healing by magic, he couldn't talk. That made things a lot easier. "I-I read her soul, she wanted what was best for you, but you went down a path she couldn't follow." I whispered, and the pain flashed through his eyes, which were glued to the floor.

"What favor did you want from me?" I asked softly after a few minutes of his processing. He stiffened, and stood up swiftly.

"Cecily, get out, _now._" Sirius barked tersely from across the bars. I ignored him, and stayed where I was, staring up at Snape. I was not afraid in anyway, and I wanted to know.

Snape stared at me for several seconds, and then sat back down, with his back to me, not answering. I rose, and Sirius grabbed the back of my shirt. "I'm sorry it came to this." I whispered as he dragged me out, muttering vulgar things under his breath. Tonks resealed the door, and Sirius dragged me across the hallway.

"What the _hell_ are you playing at?" He yelled, swelling. "That man-that git, _attacked you._ And you go and visit him, try to make him feel better!" Sirius continued. I could tell he had been storing this rant for a while.

"That's none of your business—" I started in a forced calm, but he ran me over.

"_None of my business?_ I am your _godfather_, if that isn't reason enough-"

"Sirius, I don't care _how_ you are related to me, there are things I will _never _ tell you, no matter how pressing you think it is! That was private, you didn't even know what we were talking about! I don't know why you need to act all tough guy—" I said furiously, my anger rising.

"_PRIVATE?" _Sirius roared. "For your whole _life_ Death Eaters like that scum," Heads were peering curiously at our fight from the cells, and Tonks looked over anxiously as he continued, "Have hurt you and you want to help them, are willing to forgive them after they hit you, _raped you, _AND NEARLY KILLED YOU?" He roared in my face, and I stared, frozen at his face, shocked and hurt. His words hurting me anymore than the things he listed actually had.

I quickly turned away from him, and put my face in my hands to hide my tears. That topic was forbidden, he knew that, yet he was going to use it against me in a petty fight over things he didn't understand.

"Do you know what it's like, reading a soul? Do you know things no one else in the world knows, and does death overshadow your whole _immortal life?"_ I whirled around, shouting, tears still fresh on my face. "Have you only had dead people to encourage you to keep living? Have you known you were going to die, and could do _nothing_ about it?" I yelled at him, his face blurred with my tears, my shoulders shaking.

"If you don't, you won't understand, _why_ I talk to spirits, souls, and yes, even men like Professor Snape. So why can't you just accept like I've had to, that I will never, _ever_ be normal, and let me make some of my own decisions?!" I went to run past him, but he caught me gently around the waist, and gave me a hug.

"I'm sorry." He said, sounding sincerely contrite. I furiously wiped away the tears and took a deep breath, avoiding looking at his face. "I never should have said that to you—"

"Forget it." I said shortly, trying to ignore Tonks, who was watching us open-mouthed, and the men who had attacked me a few hours ago peeking out of their cells with the same expressions.

Suddenly, they all grinned, rubbing their left forearms. A sinking feeling dropped into my stomach, and I ignored Sirius who was looking hurt, and closed my eyes. I didn't hunt for Voldemort, but instead, I looked for the woman I hated most, Bellatrix. Her stunt with my hair had cost her, I knew everything about her.

I gasped and opened my eyes. "Go get Dumbledore and as many Aurors you can find, and get to the fifth floor, Room of Requirement _now._" I said shakily. She was being Vanished currently and would be in Hogwarts in—

_BOOM!_

Dust filtered lightly down from the ceiling as a loud explosion erupted from upstairs. All of the blood drained from my face as I heard- "Oh little girly? Where are you?!"


	41. Chapter 41

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty One-

CECILY POV

None of us moved, until crone one yelled, "Down here!" Tonks whirled and silenced him instantly, but the damage was done. Bellatrix shrieked with delight, and I heard her descend the marble staircase.

"Cecily, get out of here, you need to warn the others." Sirius said hoarsely, drawing his wand.

"Bellatrix already did that. I'm not leaving." I said firmly, and before he could do anything, I stepped in front of him and Tonks as Bellatrix, Greyback, and all the other Death Eaters not in Azkaban skidded around the corner.

"Alice and Frank still haven't forgotten, Bellatrix." I said calmly. Her face turned ugly.

"I told you never to talk to me again, you little toad." She said, drawing her wand. I stepped hard on Sirius's foot before he could curse her, it wouldn't do any good. Bellatrix noticed, and her face drained of any color. "Impossible…" she said, staring at Sirius.

"Bellatrix Lestrange." I let Frank Longbottom talk through me, and I heard Bellatrix gasp. "I may not be dead yet, but when _you _die, you will not be safe from me and my wife." He continued, but Sirius's sharp prod made my eyes snap open. The usual loss of energy didn't come, much to my surprise.

"Enough. Let's finish what _Draco_ couldn't." Greyback said nastily, baring his teeth and grinning. "It's a full moon tonight, little girl. Do you want to go play wolfie?" He asked, and barked a laugh.

Rapid fire, Bellatrix whipped a killing curse at Sirius's head, but he ducked, and it cracked the stone wall a few feet behind us. Suddenly, curses of all kinds were bouncing off of me, the human shield, as Tonks and Sirius started on Stunning the Death Eaters, they had the advantage.

The arch way above us trembled as Avery started firing curses at it. I realized what he was doing as soon as it would fall, I would have to move. "Stun Avery!" I cried, right as the archway detatched, and came tumbling down. I pushed Sirius and Tonks back and rolled to the side, seconds before it smashed were I was. I was facing Snape's cell, suddenly face to face with him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but a hand grabbed my hair and smashed my face into the bars. I stomped their instep and whirled and punched Avery straight in the jaw then kicked his falling body in the torso, and he flew away, smashing into the wall across from me.

I turned to go, but Snape caught my left hand, pulling me back to the bars. I raised my fist to punch, but his voice stopped me. "I wanted to talk to my parents." He said, answering my question softly, not trying to hurt me or anything.

I was about to reply, but Sirius's shout of pain made me turn, breaking his hold. Bellatrix had charmed rocks to fly like Bludgers at him, one had hit his thigh. Anger shooting down my spine, I ran over and back handed her face, then kicked a high kick upward, getting her in the throat. Greyback grabbed my arms, holding them above my head, his nasty breath by my neck as Bellatrix slowly got up, gagging.

She grinned, her insanity showing through, and punched me in the stomach. It didn't hurt that bad, but soon she was kicking and throwing rocks at it as I fought in Greyback's grip, my wrists starting to chafe as I twisted them uselessly in his huge hands. I cried out as she kicked me three times in a row.

"_STUPEFY!" _ A very angry Harry roared, and Greyback fell behind me. Free from his hold, I leapt up and kicked Bellatrix twice in the chest in a quick succession, and she dropped again. "_Stupefy!"_ Harry shouted again, running over, and Bellatrix stopped moving. He pocketed her wand, and pulled me as far away from the growing fight as he could, the Order had arrived, and were locking wand less Death Eaters in the cells.

"Are you alright?" He shouted over the noise, and I nodded. My stomach felt like it was on fire, and I my shirt was stained with blood as I peeked. My too concave stomach was littered with bruises and deep cuts, which were starting to bleed.

Harry swore and ran back to the fight. I took a deep breath, ignored the pain like I always did, and rejoined the fight. I passed Lupin, who was looking pale, and Tonks fighting beside him, looking fierce.

Almost instantly, all of the Death Eaters tried to get closer to me, and I realized that they were here for _me_, not to kill Dumbledore. If that was second to me…

I froze as moonlight came in through a window and bathed me in its white light. It was starting to creep into the other windows. "Lupin, get out! Everyone, move!" I heard Dumbledore shout, Stunning a Death Eater easily.

Lupin and Greyback froze instantly as the light washed over them. I backed to the wall, planning to inch my way around the two and book it, when a hand grabbed my throat, dragging me tighter against bars.

Members of the Order were streaking after Death Eaters as they ran, but my fingers dug uselessly into the hands around my throat. I barely saw Harry turn back, realizing I wasn't with them, and his face changed to horror as he started to run back.

My lungs ached in my chest, and another wand less Death Eater from the same cell reached around, grabbed my hands, and forced them down, holding a bleeding wrist tight in each of their hands, keeping me to the bars. Keeping me from fighting back.

"No Harry!" Dumbledore bellowed, and threw out his arm and caught Harry as he dashed madly toward the two shaking werewolves, who were bursting out of their clothing, their backs elongating and hunching…dark spots blocked them out across my vision as I started to lose consciousness.

"Let go of me!! CECILY!" I heard Harry yell. The hands relaxed some around my throat, and I gasped silently for air, letting my vision clear, my brain resume functioning…

My stomach ached as my vision cleared fully. Both werewolves were growling at each other, both trying to be the alpha male. I whimpered in pain, keeping back my full out scream as a Death Eater slit my wrist. The scent of fresh blood snapped the werewolves' attention away from themselves and to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dumbledore standing uncertainly, holding Harry back with a jinx, wand raised. The wolves themselves looked uncertain, watching me. I didn't smell like prey, I smelled like death, yet my sweet (to them) smelling blood was pooling down my fingertips to the floor.

I cried out in shock as they slit my other wrist. I managed to pull one wrist roughly away, and dug my fingernails into the hands around my throat, which were tightening, trying to control me. I finally slackened their grip enough to pull away and wrench my other bleeding wrist free. I quickly twisted my hands to apply pressure to each wrist using my palms, and looked up at the two werewolves. Both were slowly moving forward, still uncertain.

My eyes flashed to Dumbledore and Harry quickly. Dumbledore still looked uncertain, and Harry was still jinxed on the floor, desperately trying to stand up from the Jelly-Leg Jinx. His eyes held nothing but panic, but I found I was not even afraid of my own death. My ring was warning me, but wasn't spelling out my death.

I held perfectly still as one wolf (I couldn't tell them apart) sniffed my head, blowing my hair back with its long hot breaths. I stared into its large red eyes, trying not to freak out. The other wolf sniffed at my blood pools on either side of me. I fought to hold still, my loss of blood was starting to make me woozy.

One wolf yelped and lapped gently at my blood, then reared back, skittering away. The other wolf took the opportunity to attack him. I slowly inched along the wall as the wolves snarled and slashed at each other, yelping and whining as they were hurt.

I stumbled across the hallway and Dumbledore caught my awkwardly crossed arms. I was still applying pressure, even though my shirt was blossomed with red by my stomach. With a roar, one wolf smashed the other into a cell, squashing everyone inside. They died instantly. Harry finally hauled himself to his feet, and took my other elbow, and Dumbledore and Harry helped me limp up the stairs. I forced my feet to move, staring at each step as I slowly climbed up the first five steps.

I heard Harry gasp, and my instinct proved incredibly accurate as I flew up a step and flung my arms out, protecting Harry and Dumbledore as a Killing Spell bounced uselessly off my chest, and blood started to flow out of my wrists, as I stood, arms wide, and stared up at Voldemort, who was standing at the top of the stairs.


	42. Chapter 42

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Two-

CECILY POV

We stared into each others eyes for a moment, the sound of the two battling wolves was the only noise in the too still air.

I felt no fear as I took him silently in, my blood falling in tiny droplets that seemed amplified to my ears. The wolves abruptly stopped fighting, and the steady dripping pounded in my ears.

He started firing curses where my body did not protect Harry and Dumbledore, below the waist. I started whirling and kicking, blocking each spell and sometimes kicking them back to him. I don't know how long it lasted, but when I was done, my short hair was sticking in strands to my face, half matted with sweat and blood.

Voldemort eyed me, and for some reason, I started to feel uncomfortable, which seemed ridiculous. I was bleeding and sore, not afraid for my life…but something about his gaze unnerved me.

"Cecily, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Make your choice." He said calmly. Anger flashed down my spine faster than ever before.

"What if I don't choose any of your choices?" I asked as I climbed up three steps, matching his tone with a hint of sarcasm. "What if I choose for you to _die?" _I shouted, and fired five bolts from my ring in a quick succession.

My aim was off by just a few inches on all of them, and Voldemort stood unharmed, grinning as I glared at him. "Your options are thus; you can watch the two fools behind you die, and then I will kill you…or…You can come back to me. Live with me, have anything you desire. Normality. Power. Wealth." I flinched at the normality part of it all, and he descended on my movement.

"Are you tired of everyone asking for you for services? Annoyed and frustrated by their stares and whispers? Vexed by the 'rules' of their social society? Leave it all behind, Cecily. Come back."

I gasped. I had been ignoring him, reading his soul information. There was something in there that wasn't there before. Something so disturbing, I couldn't even form the words to describe it. I should have known of this…

"You…y-you," I recoiled down a step, then three. "You love me." I whispered, and he reared back, eyes on fire. He didn't say anything, but looked at me again, with that…_gaze._

Angry, I flipped up the steps, and stopped two steps down from him, looking up. He had his wand trained on me, but I wasn't too worried. He hesitated, but then raised a hand and gently stroked the side of my face, his fingertips leaving a burning trail on my skin. His fingers actually trembled as he stopped at the corner of my lip.

Conflict was raging in his evil eyes, and I had no idea how to feel. Sure, I was loved in my family, but I had never thought of a romantic relationship. I really couldn't have one; I would outlive the partner forever. Unless…he was already immortal.

He leaned down, staying behind my body, using it as a shield…and…he kissed me. I stood totally frozen. I had never been under a spell, but I felt like I had been jinxed. His lips were so soft, yet the thinness of them repulsed me. They were much too thin to be human.

His hands were locked behind my head, so it was hard to shove him away, but I managed. I kicked him so hard; his back actually was a few inches into the stone behind him. My whole body was trembling with my emotions, anger was high on the list, but somewhere inside…I had liked it, and that scared me, made me even angrier.

My fists were clenched, my slit tendons screaming in pain, but that only fueled me. "How…_dare you._ First you beat me, starve me, abuse me. Then you KISS me!" I shouted, a large explosion upstairs accenting my words. His face looked so sad, but I didn't let that sway me. This man, this…_thing_ was sick.

"I see you've made your choice." He said softly, lowering his wand. I took a step back as he stepped out of the Voldemort sized hole and came forward faster than I would have liked.

A well placed curse almost nicked his shoulder, but he aimed one spell at the ceiling and a huge chunk came down behind me, breaking the staircase and separating Harry and Dumbledore from me. I could feel the drop off under my heels as I scrambled back several steps. I would fight him, but something screamed in my brain that he wouldn't take me anywhere…

I quickly stole a glance behind me. Harry and Dumbledore were getting up, having been knocked off the staircase. The hopelessness on his face made my eyes stay locked on his face, but I quickly turned to Voldemort as I saw him move out of the corner of my eye. He stood stock still, his face murderous, but his eyes were filled with…pain? Regret?

Suddenly, he seemed to flick his arm, and something whizzed through the air, and hit me just above my left shoulder. For a second, I was just confused, looking down to see a knife hilt just below my collar bone. Then pain flashed through my body like acid, stinging in my other wounds, running circles in my head.

I tensed and curled inward on myself, hands holding the hilt in shock. I felt his hand under my chin, and then I was looking into his face. I gasped in pain and started to shake as he stroked my face, clearing my hair from my eyes. His eyes were filled with such pain and love as he started to support my weight. Then he swallowed hard, let go of me, and took a step back.

"CECILY!!!" I heard Harry bellow fearfully as my knees gave out in exhaustion. I slumped over, and gravity pulled me over the edge, and I fell into the crevice created by the broken staircase, hitting the sides until I tumbled heavily to the bottom.

I was finding it hard to breathe, but I reached up and grasped the hilt and yanked. My ring was singing in my ears, the tides had turned… The knife slid out with a sick squelch as I was suddenly covered in shadow. A wolf leapt up the staircase and there was shrieking and snarls from the top of the stairs.

Fighting to stay awake, I called on some spirits for energy as I forced myself to stand. Even though I immediately fell onto the rough wall created in the staircase, I was going to get out of here…


	43. Chapter 43

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Three-

CECILY POV

My whole body screamed to be set down again…to rest and sleep. But if I gave in, I would never wake up again…

I could hear frantic shouts and movement upstairs, but nothing stood out. A weight was pressing down on my ears, my vision hazy. The deep crevice in the staircase was barely wide enough for me to stretch out my arms, making it difficult to try to climb out. The walls were smooth, like the rest of the staircase.

"Is he dead?" I heard someone shout, and footsteps racing to the edge of the steps. "What in Merlin's name-" the voice continued, but then curses were flying everywhere, I could barely see the jets flying everywhere, aiming for…the top of the crevice. I whirled around to crane my neck up, trying to see the top of the roof piece in front of me.

Suddenly, a huge shape came off the wall and down, until it was stuck awkwardly above me. I was nose to nose with one of the werewolves, I couldn't tell which. There was blood on the muzzle and claws, but this wolf was making no move to attack me. I had shrank back as far as I could as it fell, and ended up falling in my haste. Sitting, I was face to face with this wolf, who whined softly.

The wolf and I stared at each other as I heard Harry yell, "But she's down there, hurt! _Cecily_!" I heard more footsteps, but focused as best as I could back on the wolf. It was sniffing at my hurt shoulder which was still oozing blood at a dangerous pace.

Cautiously, I reached up and touched its shoulder. The wolf started making this purring noise…weird. I read its soul information, which wasn't difficult, to my surprise. I could clearly tell that this was Lupin, in fact, Lupin knew he was Lupin…which wasn't supposed to happen…

_It was your blood. It cleared my mind._ Lupin's voice ran through my head clear as a bell, making me shudder in shock. I had made him a tame werewolf. Amazing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw wands pointing at Lupin's back. They were going to kill him-

"Stop!" I called as loud as I could. Lupin's bulk filled most of the space, in fact, I could only see a medium sized sliver of above. There was a pause, some muttering, and someone said, "Was that Cecily?"

"Yes! Don't hurt him, it's ok! He knows who he is!" I called louder as the world seemed to get darker. "But I think he's stuck, yes, he's stuck!" I called as the wizards started arguing loudly, except for one got down and peeked through the crack. I could tell instantly it was Sirius.

"He knows? How?" He asked as I leaned against the wall. Suddenly, his eyes bugged out of his head, and I guess he noticed that half my shirt was soaked in blood. Oh. I had forgotten about that…

"She's hurt! Cecily, what happened?" He asked urgently, moving his head to get a better look.

"He s-stabbed me." I called up, and Lupin growled softly. "It's not b-bleeding to bad-" Sirius wasn't listening.

"We're going to need a Med-Wizard, he stabbed her, and she fell obviously, and all the injuries from before…" he peeked at me again. "She's much to pale, it must be the blood loss." He said to someone, and the heads switched places to reveal Dumbledore.

"While we try to find away to get Lupin out, and I apologize for trying to kill you, Lupin, but how does he know who he is?" He asked gravely.

"When he was still a wolf, he drank some of my blood, when the Death Eaters cut my wrist, because it smells like death even though it's obviously alive." I said, looking at Lupin as I spoke. He nodded his giant wolf head. "Somehow it cleared his mind, and he killed Greyback." The world got darker yet as Dumbledore disappeared and a heated debate started above as I curled up in a ball. It was cold, I was losing blood, and my whole body hurt.

Lupin nudged me, so I flinched to show him I was still alive. I was trying to apply pressure to my wrists and shoulder at the same time, my stomach had slowed enough for me not to worry. I closed my eyes and sighed. My ring was screaming, but I was going to ignore it and take a nap…

A wolf howling in my ear broke me out of it, and I groaned and rolled over to glare weakly at Lupin, who looked almost panicked, though I couldn't fathom why. "I was sleeping…" I meant to accuse him, but it came out as a dreamy sigh.

"Lupin, can you shift positions, so that you are standing on your hindlegs? We need to get her out, _now._" I thought I heard Dad say.

After a few moments of me watching Lupin through heavy-lidded eyes, he managed to squirm around and did what Dad asked, then stretched over and nudged my curled up self closer, sometimes pulling gently on my shirt with his teeth.

Quite suddenly, he lifted me up like a kitten and placed me on his gigantic hairy wolf thighs, so I was about ten feet off the ground, pressed against the smooth wall of the chasm. I gingerly unwound myself after he nudged me constantly.

"Cecily, listen to me. We need you to climb out. Lupin will help you, but we can't get down far enough to get you." Dad said loudly and clearly at me. His face was calm, smooth like the stone wall I was leaning against, but his eyes were almost crazed.

I felt Lupin's nose nudge my feet up, and I wobbled on his muzzle, off balance. He lifted his head as high as he could, but there was still a good ten feet left. He bowed his head, and then jerked it up, catapulting me up high, but not high enough. I slammed into the wall and started to slowly slide down.

Thinking as fast as my sluggish brain could allow, I fired a bolt with my ring, making a ledge, which I grabbed with my both hands, making me cry out as my left shoulder, the one that had been stabbed, made a nasty tearing noise and started to bleed faster again. My feet were tight against the wall, but they were starting to slip.

"Cecily, you can do it, come on…" Dad encouraged, but his voice was cracking. "Take my hand, see it? It's not that far away…" His voice started to fade in and out in slow hypnotic waves as my brain started to shut down.

"Don't you dare give up!" A voice shouted that was very familiar, but I couldn't place it. "Come on Cecily don't quit. Don't let Voldemort win!" Something deep in my brain sparked in anger at that last comment, making me raise my head. I couldn't make out faces, only hair color. Blobs of white, brown, black and red were smooshed against the top of the wall, arms and hands stretching to reach me. I blinked. One second, they seemed to be close, the next, too far away.

Lupin whined as I hissed in pain as I slowly let go with my right hand, holding my body up with my left side, and snatched upward with my right. My fingertips were inches away it seemed to someone's hand, but my left shoulder made a snapping noise, making my hand fall away as my whole body started to fall again. I had shrieked in pain, and my head was ringing with the echoing noise.

I just managed to make another hand hold before I fell and crushed Lupin's head. My fingertips gripped the ledge until I thought they would snap off at the knuckles as I pushed downward, forcing my body up, and flattened myself against the wall, my toes barely balancing on the tiny ledge. I looked up, and got hit in the face by a rope.

"We'll help you, come on Cecily, you can do it." The voice I recognized to be Fred's, that would explain the red hair, sounded from above. I wrapped it around my right arm and wrist, and jumped for the next ledge. I wanted to give up so bad, to let it all go to hell. I lived and talked with the dead, why not join them? I knew it wasn't so bad.

But everyone I had ever loved was helping me right now, and I knew that if Lupin had killed Voldemorts body, which would explain the blood, Voldemort wasn't actually dead…

I reached deeper than I ever have before for spirits, spirits to help me live. I dug around for a minute, then stopped cold as I had entered the whole ring itself, not just the stone, out of desperation.

"Why are you stopping?" Someone yelled in a panicked fashion from above as my fingers gripped the second ledge tighter still in horror. I remembered the fight with Wormtail, forcing him back, the crack his head made against the gravestone…

I had killed him. Killing rips the soul…into the nearest object possible…the darkness exploded behind my eyelids as I felt the rope tugging me up, and I made no move to help them, I couldn't.

_The ring is a Horcrux._ I thought in despair as the ring took over. The last thing I felt was a hand grabbing my shirt.


	44. Chapter 44

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Four-

HARRY POV

Fred's arm was the longest, he managed to grab her shirt first and pull her up the rest of the way. A strange roaring had filled my ears as Cecily slumped over at the edge, not breathing, not moving. Not alive.

The roaring grew louder as the silence pressed down. Then Mum started sobbing, breaking the spell. She was rocking back and forth on her heels, a few people down, staring at Cecily. Dad and her sort of fell onto each other, both of them starting to cry.

She couldn't be dead. She was _death._ But as I seized her slit wrist to feel for a pulse, I felt nothing but the still warm sticky blood that stained her cold, pale skin. "No…" I managed to choke out, moving forward to feel for a pulse on her neck, which was bruised from where the Death Eaters were trying to strangle her. But I couldn't feel a heartbeat…

I sat back in total shock, my hands and fingers sticky with blood. She was _dead._ I thought it would never happen… I looked at her left hand. It was in a fist, in fact, her whole body seemed almost…horrified. Why had she stopped? If she had just kept going…But something told me that no matter what, she had been maxed out. Reached her limits, lost too much blood. Nothing would have saved her.

Lupin howled one slow mournful note from below. A sort of numbness filled me as he did so. I had gotten her back unexpectedly, fought for her, watched her fight for herself, and now she'd gone. Hatred rose up in me for Voldemort, more so then when I had learned he had killed my parents. I hadn't seen it happen right in front of me. He had killed her in cold blood, after _kissing her._

The Med-Wizard pushed through and felt for a pulse, checked for breathing, but we all knew she was gone. Quietly, the Wizard pronounced her dead, and moved back, saying the date and time. It was only the fifth of November. She hadn't even had a first Christmas. Never had a birthday celebration.

I could not accept this. Cecily was faking it or something, or she was resting, or…I lightly shook her, but she lay like a doll, still and limp. Her face was still beautiful, but had that haunted, gaunt look to her. The mark of death.

Everyone bowed their heads. I could hear the locked up Death Eaters laughing from the dungeons, but grief overwhelmed hatred, and I stayed where I was, just watching her too skinny body, waiting for it to breathe once more. My gaze fell on her left hand, and the light from the ring had died, and was loose and large on her finger. It was waiting for someone else to possess, someone else to touch it, and have their life destroyed…

I blinked. It seemed to expand and then tighten back to the shape around her finger, and after a second, a dim glow shone dully from inside the stone. All of a sudden, it flashed, blinding everyone, and she sat straight up, gasping for air, scaring everyone.

She seemed to crumple inwards, and about ten people seized her and held her up as she collapsed fully, asking her questions in shock. The first rays of the dawn were starting to come in the windows as they all kind of picked her up as one, and got her on a stretcher.

My whole mind felt like it had been wiped totally blank. She had _died_. I had seen her, dead, not breathing, and she suddenly came back to life. She hadn't been dead more than 10 minutes.

"Cecily, Cecily, can you hear me? Talk to me!" Mum was saying as they were going at a breakneck pace for the hospital wing. I stayed frozen, unable to move. After a while, Ministry Wizards worked calmly and efficiently, getting Lupin out and securing all the Death Eaters.

The whole world had gone on, but I found that I was stuck. I couldn't help but think, Was Cecily even human anymore?


	45. Chapter 45

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Five-

CECILY POV

I could tell I was dead. It felt like a dream, numbed by the slowly dying pain in my whole body. The warmth of my body and the world had vanished. I was cold and hard, and all around me was an icy blackness.

I brought my hands up to examine my face. The ring was gone. I lurched, staring at my hand. It had been there since I could remember, without it, I felt vulnerable. I flipped my hands over. My wrists were un-slit. My hands flew to my shoulder. There was no wound. But the pain was there, spreading quickly.

As if to cement the dream-like quality of death, I suddenly recalled that I was a murderer. Killing Wormtail had ripped my soul. The closest available object, the ring, had become the Horcrux without my realization…

Out of the gloom, as if he had heard my thoughts, Wormtail appeared, smiling. My immediate response was to move back.

"Nothing to save you. Nothing to help you through this time. The ring is gone, and the Dark Lord shall live forever." I seemed to be stuck as he swept powerfully over, easily overtaking me, and seized my throat. The echoes of the pain from my previous strangling came roaring back as he took no time to take pleasure in killing me, I was already dead.

My fingernails dug deep into his ghostly flesh, but he made no reaction, he didn't even bleed. Somehow, he was unaffected, but I was. The dream was shifting, almost tilting the 'ground'. I could feel ground underneath me, wounds reopening…

The Horcrux must have been activated…but Wormtail was going to kill me first. I squirmed and kicked at him, but he stood firm as my lungs screamed for oxygen.

Black spots swarmed up in my vision as my brain slowly started to die (again) from the lack of oxygen. If there had been a ground, I would have fallen, if not for Wormtail's hands holding me up by the throat.

Suddenly, I hit whatever ground there was, and no hands strangled me. I stayed in my crumpled heap for a minute, savoring the air. But this was getting harder and harder to do, the pain was spreading and intensifying with every second. Shakily, I lifted my head, and noticed the three people squatting in front of me. On a second glance, they all looked familiar…

"Hold on, child. Let us bless thee. You have been the most worthy bearer of th' ring, and we shall repay you for thee suffering." Said Helga Hufflepuff gently, raising a hand and placing the tip of her pointer finger between my brow.

I felt like I had no need to breathe, my still screaming lungs seemed un-important, a distant memory. "I give thee strength, strength Voldemort has never known." My whole body rippled, and suddenly, I could feel my muscles firming and becoming steeled with strength.

Helga stepped aside and Gordric Gryffindor stepped smoothly forward. "Salazar doth come, I shall be swift. I bestow upon thee the power to heal thy body. May it be thine savior in times such as these." If I could have screamed, I would have. The ripping terrible pain wracked my body for only a few seconds, but it seemed longer.

Rawena Ravenclaw **(sp? Sorry guys, my book has vanished)** quickly came forward. "I give thee incredible wit and intelligence. This ancient knowledge of beings long departed will help thee." She calmly stroked my hair, and my situation seemed to fall into organized precision. Behind her, an angry being in green appeared, and raised a hand, as if to hit me.

In a huge flash of light, the world rushed loudly back. Compared to the deafening silence of death, the world was loud and bright. Spirits flooded in, unorganized once again, and they overloaded my tired brain. I leapt up in shock and pain as sound crashed into my ears, and air into my lungs. Hands held me up, voices asked questions.

Suddenly, I felt my wounds, and my whole body fell inward as I struggled with another problem. Every noise and every source of light cut my brain like a knife. The hand easily supported me, and I felt myself moved quickly, the air whistled too loudly in my ears. I was sat down, less voices sounded, and I felt bandages being applied.

The drum being pounded in my brain continued for awhile, and all I could do was lie there, wincing at every noise. I kept my eyes closed, the world must be insanely bright. After a while, my head felt better, even though the noise had increased. I thought I heard someone call me.

Disoriented, I went to sit up, and found that simply thinking it made me move, and I looked around, confused. The hospital wing was lit sparsely, the sun was just rising. It was full of people, shouting, running around. All the noise seemed amplified, but I watched everything almost like it was in slow-motion.

Someone noticed and came running over, saying things that were to loud for my ears. I blinked, to befuddled to say anything. I was still trying to name the face. Jet black hair that was very scruffy and messy fell into this mans hazel eyes, which were widened in shock and rimmed in red, he had been crying.

"Cecily?!" I finally understood what he was saying, there was so much blaring noise, it was hard to make things out. I pulled back a little. I knew who I was, but who was he? He grasped my shoulders gently and looked into my face. I realized my shoulder was bandaged as he lightly touched it.

Like a slap to the face, information flooded back, and instead of overwhelming me again, it was neatly taken in and organized. _Rawena…_ I thought, and stared back at the man I finally recognized as my father. I gave him a huge hug, and heard him gasp in surprise, and his jaw clenched.

I quickly let go. Too quickly, I scared him. "Cecily, what happened to you?" He wheezed, totally breathless from what to me had been a simple, deep hug. That was new.

"The ring was a Horcrux." I said as soon as I thought of saying it. I'd have to learn how to control that…

Dad gaped at me. It was hard to focus on him, I'm sure he was very confused, but the hospital wing was loud, I was almost mad at Madam Pompfrey, who always insisted on deathly silence.

"While I was dead…Rawena Ravenclaw, Gordric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff appeared…they blessed me." My voice ended in a question as I pondered what I had just said. It sounded ridiculous to me, but it had to be true. I had nearly crushed Dad, and I was faster now, almost alien.

And I seemed to process things faster than normal. I couldn't even think about saying something without saying it a few milliseconds later. I decided to test out the gift from Gordric, the healing one. My injuries were suddenly apparent, and I placed my hands back into a crossed pattern, like I was going to apply pressure. I could feel the gashes under the bandages.

_Go away._ I felt foolish, but I willed it to heal, the torn tendons to repair. With no help from me, it sealed seamlessly, and I went to unwind the bandage, when Dad's hand caught my hand.

"What are you doing? What did you mean by being 'blessed'?" He asked, looking very anxious. I easily pulled his hand free from is and easily tore the bandage away, something that I would have never been able to do before. I extended my hand to him, exposing my wrist.

Awed, he cradled my hand, staring at my healed wrist. I healed my shoulder and neck with my free hand and then gently took my hand back from dad to undo the bandages. He watched me the whole time, looking almost horrified.

"Dad…I'm alright." I assured him, sitting up fully. The room had cleared out, but every sound seemed much to loud, the rustling of the sheets, the creak of the bed, the footsteps exactly 24.6 meters down the hallway that were approaching…

"Someone is coming." I said, and after a few seconds, the door opened. Mum, Harry and Sirius stood cautiously by the doorway. They all looked at me like Dad had, a sort of horrified fascination.

Dad explained quietly, but it sounded like normal speech to me. Mum gasped and came over quickly, but I watched her every move easily. She hugged me, and I simply put my arms around her. If I hugged her like I had Dad, it would probably hurt her. Her whole back was shaking, so I didn't let go until she went to pull away.

Harry slowly came over and sat at the foot of the bed. He timidly played with the ring on my finger, avoiding my gaze. Mum and Dad slowly left, but then again, everything seemed slow to me.

"You died, Cecily." He said softly, his voice saturated with anguish. "I thought you were gone, we all did."


	46. Chapter 46

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Six-

CECILY POV

I took a deep, unnecessary breath. "I know. I was just as…horrified. But they made me stronger, smarter and healthier. I can fight without worrying now." I said, and he recoiled.

"You still want to fight?!" Sirius asked for him. He had moved to the foot of the bed, and was leaning on the railing. Fury bubbled up inside, making me stronger, almost murderous.

"That…thing _kissed me._ And then he murdered me! How do you think I feel?!!" I said harshly. "I may seem alien to you now, but I still have a 17 year vengeance to repay. He killed you, and Mum and Dad, and has tried to kill Harry since he was a kid! I'm done with this." I tried to calm down.

Harry and Sirius stared at me, saying nothing. Trying to move slowly, I got out of bed, and they didn't object, but they stared at me with strange looks. I guess I didn't move as slowly as I thought.

"What happened to you?" Harry choked out finally as I paced as far away from the windows as I could. I glanced quickly at him. He looked let down, like everything he had been told was a lie. He looked lost.

"Harry, I'm sorry. But if you thought I would sit by and let you risk your life to kill the man that personally hurt me and all of my family, you're wrong. My time is now." I came quickly over and sat criss-crossed on the bed in front of him, making him flinch.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, mentally making a note (that I knew I would remember) to work on moving like a normal person.

"You're so fast…and graceful. It's unnatural." Sirius said, sounding shaken. I forced myself to slowly get up, walk around the bed and give him a gentle hug. Well, gentle for me. He returned it after the slightest hesitation.

"Someone is coming." I said, and pulled away, instantly tense. Dying makes you so incredibly paranoid and tense, I could tell I had new habits forming as I almost crouched, ready to respond as required. I felt a pang of fear, I was like a robot now. That had been my instinct, to get ready for attack.

I straightened as Dumbledore walked in looking extremely tired and like his actual age. When he saw me, he stopped. "So it's true." He said in almost awe, looking me over, looking for injuries that weren't there. I stood still as he came closer, and lightly touched my once hurt shoulder. His fingers were cold, but I didn't flinch away.

"You've changed." He said, but it wasn't a question. I frowned. I thought the changes weren't physical, but mental. "But what's done is done. The school has been cleansed and repaired. Since there is no longer a threat to students, classes will continue. You may return to the dormitory if you wish…but if you would like to remain here, you may." He surprised me by giving me a brisk but meaningful hug.

Then he nodded to Sirius and clapped Harry on the shoulder on the way out. I stayed where I was. School was the last thing on my mind right now. I wanted to track Voldemort down and kill him.

"Cecily, are you coming?" Harry asked, breaking me from my trance. Sirius had left, to where, I didn't know. Harry was watching me with concern.

"I…" I had no idea. I wanted to run off and find Voldemort, and _now._ He was dangerous. He thought I was dead, he would probably try to reclaim the ring. That put everyone I cared about at risk, because of me.

"Cecily, there is nothing you can do now. We have no idea where he is, where he might be, or what he is planning. Come back to the dormitory. Stay with me." He stopped abruptly, and instantly, I felt terrible. I ran over and gave him the tightest hug I thought he could handle. He still took deep breaths when I let go.

"I'll stay. Stay to protect you, and everyone." I vowed. His face slowly twisted into a smile.

"When we finish school, I'll help you." He made a vow to match my own, and offered his arm. I grinned and looped my arm in his and found myself walking slowly to match his pace. The hallways were eerily empty, but the emptiness was soothing. The only sound was our breathing and our footsteps, and once and a while, a portrait said something.

The lack of sound was inviting. I had extended senses, and I wondered just how far they had been extended. And that wasn't all that had changed…I couldn't help but speculate, how strong was I? How fast could I run? How improved were my reflexes?

Was I even human?


	47. Chapter 47

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Seven-

CECILY POV

The next few weeks were uneventful. Looking in a mirror had scared me, I really had changed. My face was thinner, and my body did look to graceful to be human, even when I was standing still. My muscle was apparent, not in a gross way, but the definition was hinted at, and when Fred challenged me to an arm wrestling match…well, let's say I won.

Other than that, any every student enrolled at Hogwarts had pestered me with questions, the weeks were relatively easy. With my new 'brain power' my classes were easy, far too easy. Dangerously easy. I'd spend most of the class thinking about Voldemort as I easily assembled even the hardest potions.

But thinking of Voldemort always took a long time. I would chase anything I thought was a answer in countless circles until I gave up. Sadly, he had been the first male to kiss me, even show a romantic interest. And it sickened me that sometimes, I imagined what kind of man he was.

He wasn't even a man. I would tell myself that angrily, and then I'd storm off to practice kick-boxing or Quidditch to take my mind off of it. But still, in the far back of my organized brain, it lurked, waiting to be solved.

All of the _human_ males in my life were begging me to join the Quidditch Team, but I refused. I signed up to be the replacement, but it wouldn't be fair now to join the team. I was better than the professional players; it would be almost cheating to sign up for Chaser.

Plus, I didn't have a broom. I guess the twins took my threat seriously now that I could actually back it up. Or maybe they were still plotting. The world will never know…until they unleash a plan.

Time continued to fly by. The first Quidditch Match was spectacular, even if Gryffindor didn't play. Seeing Malfoy fall off his broom going after the Snitch made it worth it. And before I knew it, snow was on the ground, and I was being dragged home for Christmas.

It would be my first Christmas. I really didn't know what all the excitement was about, but I did love the snow and the cold. I was the always the last one standing in the epic snow fights the Weasley's and the Potter's divulged in almost every single day.

And the sheer amount of food was stunning. Every other night the two families would go from one house to another, trying to out do each other it seemed. It was ridiculous, but so much fun. I doubt I had eaten that much in my whole life.

Christmas Day dawned bright and cold. Christmas was at the Weasley's so we were all crowded into the living room. I was sitting on the window seat, the farthest back from the tree.

The aspect of cutting down a tree to hang things on it was strange to me, so I kept quiet. It was gorgeous, but it seemed like such a waste, especially when only about half of the presents fit under the tree to begin with.

"Alright Cecily, watch closely." Mrs. Weasley said over the noise, a little pink in the face from the wine. She picked up a package.

"Oh boy, Sirius, it's for you." She said, and all the males whooped like some sort of pow wow. I couldn't help but laugh. Sirius carefully opened the package. It was a stack of books from Dad about Animagus. I had only seen Dad turn into a stag once, and it scared me a little. It looked painful.

But Sirius was pleased, and Mrs. Weasley moved on. "Alright, to Ginny from Cecily." George made a gagging noise and I threw a bauble lightly at his head. If I had thrown it as hard as I could, it might have cause serious damage. He made a face at me as Ginny opened it, and I raised a eyebrow at him as Ginny squealed. I had folded leaves into tiny little faeries, and with my mom's help, she charmed them to fly lightly around the room.

"First Christmas gift given. Check." Said Tonks brightly, making me flush. The faeries floated lightly around Ginny's head, glowing slightly. The huge tirade of presents continued. I had tried to make all of my gifts hand-crafted, and I did a pretty good job. Dad nearly wet himself when he unwrapped the miniature wolf, dog and stag that pranced around and roughhoused with each other.

I had received new robes, the darkest chocolate I had ever seen, the most amazing quill, and tons of books on the origins of the ring I still wore. I was absolutely thrilled, I loved my gifts so much, and I enjoyed Christmas now. I hadn't been paying attention; everyone had fallen into warm chatter, but I was looking outside, trying not to think about Voldemort.

I was suddenly aware that there was no more noise and I looked back into the room. Everyone was looking expectantly at me, but right in front of me, smiling evilly, were the twins.

"Oh no." Was the first thing I thought, so it's the first thing I said, and everyone laughed. The twins just cracked even bigger identical grins.

"Cecily, we've been thinking." George said.

"And spending. And we decided that—" Fred picked up.

"You deserve one of your own." George concluded, and pulled something out from behind his very tall back. It was a package, but it was obvious that there was a broom inside.

"You didn't!" I said, leaping off the windowsill in one of my too quick to be human movements, making them flinch.

"We did." They said in unison. They looked a little nervous, I had sworn to torture them for as long as they would have lived, and since I could back that up, they had a right to be nervous.

I just kind of stared at them for a second. I wasn't actually going to hurt them, that thought had never seriously crossed my mind, but I certainly wasn't happy with them.

But I was grateful, the school brooms weren't perfect.

"Well, I suppose you already paid for it," I joked, and accepted it, making all the males whoop in excitement. They forced me to the middle of the room and crowded around as I carefully unwrapped it.

"Holy crap," I breathed. It was a Firebolt, like Harry's. I had expected a Cleansweep 7.

"We figured you deserved the best." Fred said sincerely as I wordlessly examined every inch of the broom. I looked up sharply, suddenly bubbling with excitement, and I'm sure it showed.

"Let's give it a test, shall we?" I asked, and I bolted outside, going faster than I ever had in my excitement. Yet when I moved, everything was in perfect detail. It took a few seconds for everyone to get outside, and I was already super hyper off of the refreshing cold air.

"Ready?" I shouted, adrenaline shooting through my veins. Without waiting for a answer, I kicked off with almost all my strength and went shooting so fast through the atmosphere higher than I had ever been. But my lungs did not feel strained, in fact, they felt fantastic.

I turned and went straight down, and the broom complied with my wish for speed. I barrel rolled smoothly over the house, and I heard someone whoop. I set the broom straight and flipped a few times in the air; the ice cold air a exhilarating tingle whistling past me.

The free fall was short and sweet before I grabbed onto the handle of the broom with one hand, flipped neatly around, and dove back down to the ground and shot back up to the sky.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something black, and I flipped backwards to track it accurately. It was definitely a person, but anyone who would be coming here would have to know of the spells that keep people from entering by broom. I knew the limits, I had plenty of room, but this person was rapidly approaching the boundary.

I started to fly back, but kept looking back to track the shape. It seemed totally unafraid…


	48. Chapter 48

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Eight-

CECILY POV

I turned back around to face it as the person got off their broom right before the barrier and stood there, waiting. I could here someone calling me, and the cold air was now chilly and harsh against my skin.

Suddenly angry, I bolted to the ground and got off about 12 feet from the ground, tucked and rolled, and stayed where I was, a good 20 yards away from the barrier. From this close, I could see the person had silvery blond hair and a willowy frame, instantly alerting me to the fact that it was a she.

Lupin bounded up next to me, as a wolf. By drinking some of my blood unknowingly, it had freed him from the changing at the full moon, now he could change as he pleased. He growled at the figure, who stayed where she was.

"Lupin, you know it's the safest if I go, right?" I said, and he whined. I looked at him, and all his hair was standing up, watching the figure.

Without another word but a gentle pat on his large shoulder, I shouldered my broom and swiftly closed the distance until I was only a foot away from the barrier. As I got closer, I could see the person was Malfoy's mother, Narcissa.

My hatred increased exponentially. How _dare_ she show up here.

"The Dark Lord will be pleased to see that you survived." She said calmly, but I could see the malicious intent behind her eyes. I didn't even flinch, but on the inside, I was reeling. He had suspected that I would live…

"A little birdie told me you were blessed by the founders. Congratulations." She said snidely when I still didn't speak.

"If you're talking about your son, Draco, you should substitute bird for troll." I hissed. Her eyes darkened, but she stayed where she was.

"I'm not here to trade insults with you…Cecily. I'm here to deliver a message." She said with exaggerated patience.

"Well then give it." I snapped. A wide smile broke over her face.

"The Dark Lord sends his greetings, and passes on a wish for you. He wishes you a very Merry Christmas." She said this so sincerely, my mind snapped to a red alert.

I quickly ran Narcissa's soul information. This wasn't Narcissa, she was in her manor by a heat source, probably a fire. Dread seeping up to me, I checked Voldemort's. He was out in the cold…

"Is he to scared to come here as himself?" I asked angrily, letting him know I knew that he had used a Polyjuice Potion. Voldemort grinned.

"Oh Cecily, you make me so happy." He sighed. I stood there in total shock. For most of my life, he had yelled insults at me.

"You're twisted." I whispered, and turned to go, when something twinged in his soul information that made me stop. When I had said 'twisted', something very large had shifted. All the evil had tried to cover a wider net, but his love for me had…_stopped it?_

"What's inside you, Tom Riddle?" I asked softly, almost to myself. "What kind of evil could have such a hold over you?" He frowned, and there was an awkward moment as the potion wore off, and then Lord Voldemort stood just a foot away from me, behind a magical barrier he couldn't break.

"Evil is a matter of perspective, Cecily." He said, but I shook my head.

"Something's got you, hasn't it? You never wanted to be evil, did you? Tell me, Tom." I said, and he looked very angry, but it was the huge suffocating mass of evil, I could feel it.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that. I don't need help." He snarled. I thought about it. If his words weren't negated (if the don'ts weren't there) there would be a rough form of a cry for help in there…

"Why are you here?" I asked quickly, trying to keep him thinking as I thought wildly. It could all be a trick, but the soul never lies…

"I wanted to see you. You are a great happiness to me, Cecily." He said, and as he said it, the good trapped under the evil swelled with joy, making his words his own.

Without hesitation, I protected my own mind, then prodded the evil. It roared up, and I stabbed viciously at it until it retreated. I could tell from touching it, it had to live in a object or a person, it couldn't exist on its own. Maybe he got it from a Dark artifact, he had been obsessed with Dark Magic in school…

"Cecily, I have to leave." His voice broke me from my thoughts. It was once again, his own. I could hear a subtle difference in the way he spoke, and the way the evil made him speak.

I instantly felt torn. I wanted to help him, as crazy as it sounded, but at the same time, I wanted him to leave and never come back.

"Don't let it control you. You know who you are, get rid of it." I said to him, and the evil stirred restlessly, making him twitchy.

"I have to go," he said, and quickly mounted his broom and sped away, leaving me standing on two sides of two different barriers. One with me out in the snow, and the other inside me, inside my heart.


	49. Chapter 49

-The Graveyard, Chapter Forty Nine-

CECILY POV

The rest of Christmas was a quiet event. Dumbledore had been notified, and he told me he would look for anything fitting my description. Members of the Order where extremely angry that Voldemort had come so close and that I had talked normally with him.

I had tried to explain the overwhelming evil, and the normal beneath, but everyone was skeptical. Only Dumbledore took me seriously. He would send me weekly owls that always had me anxious for more news.

Even when I went back to school, we would meet once a week and discuss it. I was eager to share memories, anything to make someone else believe me. He was incredibly interested, and together, we poured over book after book. I could remember things longer than him, so that helped.

My classes were easy, I spent more time playing Quidditch and researching this _thing_ that had taken over Voldemort than I did on homework. But I was incredibly wary. I was so inclined to help him, but if I ever saved him, I would have to deal with the love thing.

I mean, he _really, really_ loved me. It was kind of creepy, yet I couldn't help but feel good about being loved. I mean, sure, my family loved me. But nobody had ever loved me romantically. I had no idea what to do.

So I would spend most of my time in the restricted section of the library, trying to find and answer. After looking through a particularly large black volume, I was frustrated. Nothing in the restricted section so far had clued me in. Most of it was about evil things to _do_ and create, but not evil things themselves, unless you count creatures.

I went to put the giant volume back, but when I put it in its slot, it didn't fit. Slightly cautious, I removed the book and put my hand in, feeling toward the back, expecting a biting book to get me. Instead, I touched leather.

I pulled out a worse-for wear book about the size of a small novel, and put the giant one back. Then I examined the tiny book curiously. It looked almost like a diary it was so small. Dumbledore had warned me about books in the library, but I was frustrated and curious.

I flipped the cover open, and through the first book notes. The title surprised me. _Dark Fables from Dark Times,_ the book was called. Madam Pince was starting to bug me, so I took the tiny book with me out of the library and back to my dormitory, but not before checking the book registry. According to Madam Pince, this book had disappeared almost 70 years ago.

It was pretty empty, everyone was in the common room, and Quidditch Practice was going on. I sat in a window and took out the book once more. I flipped it open again, and found the table of contents. After a quick scan, none of them really caught my eye, so I flipped open to a random page and started reading. The tale was about a girl who got so jealous, she turned into a hag. Pissed, I threw the book, and it landed on it's face.

I took a deep breath and watched the tiny people in gold fly around out in the Quidditch Pitch. I knew Harry would be angry if he knew what I was doing. But I _needed_ to know. After a minute, I retrieved the and climbed back into the window, and started to read the page it had landed on. I couldn't go back to the library now, it was dark.

The story was about Eliv, a strange little boy who had been raised in a harsh, Dark Magic family. The story goes that his evil spirit, when he died, was cursed into an amulet, called the Amulet of Thilg. Once an amulet for protection, one drop of Eliv's blood turned the diamond red, into a ruby, and sealed the curse. Fueled by his anger and hate, Eliv supposedly still lived on inside the Amulet, killing or controlling anyone who touched it.

My mind was wild after I finished the story. It said the Amulet's whereabouts were unknown, but I was thinking about the side affects of touching such an object. I had touched a cursed object of death, but since there was so much death in me, it only strengthened me. But what about a poor little kid, a baby even?

They wouldn't have a chance, no way. I quickly glanced at the story again. It only said that nobody dared to touch the Amulet of Thilg, and the people actually moved away from the town were Eliv grew up out of fear.

Geez. Looks like I needed to talk to Dumbledore, find Eliv's hometown, and track down this Amulet…

I quickly left the tower and got a few hallways away. Quidditch practice would be over, and I didn't want to explain this to Harry. Plus, getting caught by a teacher at this hour would suck. Fortunately, I was the freak child who could move faster than they could see. But Harry was so against the research; he didn't understand. I had wanted to kill Voldemort for killing me, but I hadn't realized that his soul was divided and taken over. When I tried to tell Harry this, he got incredibly angry. Almost the same as when I woke up in the hospital.

I wasn't quite sure why I was so incredibly interested with this. Maybe I was looking for a reason to prove Voldemort was guilty, or maybe just the opposite. But either way, it was worth looking into, the information had value.

Briskly, I made my way quickly to Dumbledore's office, the book tucked firmly into my robes. I passed Peeves, and he stood up straight and saluted before going back to loosening the chandelier. He had been incredibly friendly to me as all the ghosts had, even though I still didn't know how to send them where they wanted. It had it's perks, being friends with them.

After saying the password (Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans), I ran up the revolving steps and knocked hurriedly. The door opened, so I quickly came in and shut the door. Dumbledore was looking out his big window at the grounds. I quietly came over and sat down at the chair in front of his desk, placing the book on the desk.

Dumbledore sighed, and came over to sit down, and sighed heavily as he sat in front of me. "I have nothing new, Cecily. Absolutely nothing. It seems no records could possibly exist." He said heavily.

"I found something. Something more than just a hunch. It fits _perfectly_, if I can tie Riddle to it. Here." I opened the tiny book to the correct page and pushed it across the desk. Dumbledore picked it up cautiously with his long knotted fingers and quickly scanned the story.

"It is quite interesting…where did you find this?" Dumbledore said, new excitement radiating in his voice. I loved the fact that he had not yet commented on my breaking of a school rule, out of bed at night.

"Stuffed behind books in the library. I checked the book register, it said it went missing ages ago. But this book could easily tie the evil in Voldemort to a source. I really want to find where Eliv lived, and find this amulet. I've been dealing with souls and curses and death all my life, and this is incredibly interesting and--" I stopped ranting as Dumbledore raised a hand.

"You may continue to hunt for information on this, I may not stop you. However, you have family to consider. This will not be an easy quest." He said gravely, and gently set the book down. I frowned.

"None of them understand. You would think that even though I took the abuse and the pain, they would trust me, but apparently not." I said sourly. "They are my family, but I'm the only person strong enough to do this, you know that, and so do they. But why they continue to…never mind. Goodnight, Professor." I quickly got up and left, to angry to say anything more. Dumbledore didn't stop me.


	50. Chapter 50

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty-

CECILY POV

I was so angry, I didn't hear Harry calling my name until Hermione had to get me to come back down to the common room; he couldn't go up, and I had stormed past everyone in my fury. This wasn't going to be a good talk, I could tell.

"Are you alright?" He asked, seeing my face as I stormed back down the steps. He was still in his slightly muddied Quidditch robes, and his face was flushed from the cold.

"Dandy." I almost hissed, and turned to go, but somehow, he caught my elbow. I was faster than any normal human now, and keeping up with me was difficult, according to Hermione.

"Hey, no you're not. What happened?" He asked. I almost felt bad for him. His question and motive were sincere, but if I told him the truth, he would go berserk. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, which was like counting to three for Harry.

"You wouldn't like it…exactly." I said, and felt bad afterwards. I had let my true emotions change my tone, and that was dangerous, it would only make him angrier later. He frowned, starting to see what I was getting at.

"You found something." He said acidly. I glared at him, and turned to leave, but his voice stopped me. "I can't believe you. He hurt you so bad, and you're trying to help him." He spat.

I stayed where I was; I couldn't look at his face. "Why can't you trust me? I know what I'm doing, and you know that." I said softer than I usually talked. He was tearing me apart without even realizing it.

"Because he's hurt everyone in our immediate family, and you're judgment is clouded. You've changed, and it wasn't for the better." I stiffened. I still wasn't comfortable with the change, but I would die under Voldemort's attacks in the future without it. Or should I say, Eliv's attacks, if I could prove it.

"Would you rather have had me die later on then? Whether you like it or not, I would have. And he would have killed you for destroying his Horcruxes too! But I've said nothing about _any_ of that, even though it's just as dangerous! How _dare_ you say that to me." I had meant to sound angry, but it came out half depressed. He rubbed his face without answering. "I found something viable, something _real._ A fact, a truth, whatever you want to call it. And if I can rid the world of an evil, like you were with Horcruxes, then I'm going to." I said with a little more strength.

"But I would be killing him. You're _helping_ the sick—" Harry started, but I cut him off, rage searing through my body so suddenly, it surprised me. I usually had better control over myself.

"Because he is _trapped!_ Like I was! For Gods sake, can't you see why!?" I shouted, the sound seeming amplified in the common room. "He is a person, just like me! Do you have any compassion at _all?!!"_ He blinked, surprised at my outburst. It was extremely out of character for me, and he knew that. But his anger wasn't gone for long.

"You COMPARE yourself to him! How can you compare yourself to that scum?! What happened to my sister?!" He yelled back. I flushed slightly as I realized everyone in the common room had stopped whatever they were doing.

"You mean the meek, half dead girl who was tortured half her life and was afraid of everything!? Sorry, she died along with her brothers compassion for life!" I snapped, anger starting to fade.

"Whoa, what's, going on here?" Fred's voice came from the portrait hole. I barely glanced at him and George.

"We're having a funeral for his compassion." I snarled, and turned to go, but Harry yelled at me some more, making the anger return.

"Oh grow up Cecily. Did Rawena Ravenclaw just take away you're common sense along with your personality?! I can't believe you!" Harry roared. I snorted a sarcastic laugh I was so mad. But deep inside, his comment was like a slap to the face.

"Oh, because you going out and killing Horcruxes alone is a smart thing to do to! Why don't we all just knock on his door and bring him a cake?! _You are so biased!" _ I yelled, striding up to him and pushing him into a chair, fully intent on making him listen to me.

"I don't care if you approve or not, I'm going to help this man, because whether you believe me or not, he is trapped. _I can't stand by and let that happen!_" I yelled, putting a hand on each arm rest to keep him from getting up.

"Cecily—" Fred started.

"Shut up Fred," I snarled, not even looking at him, and pushed away, off the chair, making it slide back several feet. "_I took the pain, the abuse, and yet you tell me what to do?_" I almost screamed I was so mad, "Don't you think that if he hurt _me_, if _I_ was the one starved and abused and killed then _I_ would be making a decision I was sure of?" I blinked in surprise; tears were rolling down my face. I couldn't look at Harry, and I knew everyone listening would be horrified as they learned the truth. I let the tears flow and pushed past Fred and George, running down the hallway.

I thought I heard footsteps after me, but I wasn't sure. I skidded around the corner and sort of slumped over onto the cold stone floor. Tears that I thought I had banished forever were blazing down my face in harsh patterns, running down my neck and staining the collar of my shirt. I buried my head in my arms, and for the first time in my life, just cried out of anger and frustration.

Memories played in the back of my mind like a slideshow. The collection I had given to Harry before he escaped from the Graveyard played like a silent film in my mind, only making it worse. New ones I thought I had finally buried crept to the surface.

_As a little kid, I played in the huge forest, Voldemort always watching of course, but I still pretended that I was alone. Sometimes, I would be a silent being in the vast forest, a force to be reckoned with, moving stealthily around the branches._

_The first time I realized I had been kidnapped was when I heard Voldemort planning with the Quirrel man. They mentioned me, "the Potter boy's sister has no idea, she's just a prize for me." That's what Voldemort had said. That was the first time I had tried to run away, and in turn, that was the first beating I ever had. I was 13._

I felt a arm go around my shoulders, but I was to trapped in my memories to do anything.

_When Voldemort didn't return from his second assault on 'The Potter Boy', Avery had made me so nervous. He had fun tying me to different trees in the forest throughout the day and watching me slowly get out of it. _

_The first night we spent in the Graveyard was the night I was raped. Before that, Voldemort had cast a age line around me, graciously giving me more space than usual. I had wandered through the graves, reading the titles, contacting the people who were dead because I had nothing else to do. I had talked to Voldemort's father. He had mentioned a curse to me, but before I could get more information, Avery had orders to chain me up. And then he raped me…_

"Why does she keep saying that? 'Cursed, cursed!?'" Someone said in a frightened tone. My head shot up, and took in Ginny sitting cross legged in front of me, and Hermione next to me, looking down.

"Forget it; it's to dark to even think about." I croaked, and quickly stood up and used a suit of armor for support as I wobbled. I furiously wiped at my face as they both flinched at my voice. They knew I hardly ever cried, with an exception to the hospital. I was probably scaring them, but I honestly couldn't care right now.

"Obviously, look at you. I'm sorry." Ginny said quietly, as I buried my face in my hands.

"What did he do, when I left?" I asked, and I sensed them both stiffen. "Oh no, what?" I asked, looking up. Hermione spoke hesitantly.

"When you pushed him into the chair, you…were a little harsh. George took him to the hospital wing—Cecily!" She called after me as I bolted up, slipped in my haste, then ran past them as fast as I could go, starting to cry again. I _hurt_ him, my own brother. _What was wrong with me?!_

I easily pushed open the door and bolted around to the side of his bed and knelt, being totally silent. He had fallen asleep, but I could see the bandages on his shoulders, and the potion bottle on his bedside was for concussions. I felt terrible, absolutely evil. I was a monster. Who hurts their brother in a fight? My hands shaking, I brushed his bangs out of his eyes, still crying. He didn't stir. I stood up and ripped a piece of paper off his chart, and took the quill with shaking hands.

I couldn't stay. I knew the only thing I could do, even though it would torture me every second, was to follow this new lead. Resolve this conflict once and for all, and give Harry time to forgive me. I knelt in front of his nightstand and wrote him a note:

_Harry,_

_I have to leave, so I won't hurt anyone else. You were right, I've changed, and it's not for the better. Can you ever forgive such a unforgivable act? I know I will never forgive myself for hurting you. The fight was petty, and I'm sorry._

_But I still can't sit by and let him hurt more people. Someday, I hope you can understand. Until then, I'll keep in touch. As for Mum and Dad…tell them I can't be sorry enough for what I've done._

_All my love, _

_Cecily_

I folded the letter before my tears could blot more of the words, and I put it under his glasses. I could hear Hermione and Ginny coming, so I lightly kissed Harry's forehead and ran out. I passed them in a blur I hoped they couldn't see. I was going faster than I ever had before; my grief acting as fuel.

Everyone had gone to bed, it was late. I packed swiftly, taking only the things I needed, and opened the window. I quickly tied my small bag to my broom and jumped out the window. The air screaming past me cleared my face of tears as I mounted in midair and zoomed to the boundary, and looked back. The castle was dark, only a few windows shined with light.

Slowly, I turned and flew into the night.


	51. Chapter 51

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty One-

HARRY POV

Light was shining right in my eyes as I slowly woke up. My pounding concussion was gone, which allowed me to think as I rolled over, out of the sunlight, to pick up my glasses. I stared at the note underneath them in confusion. Slowly, I put on my glasses and sat up, picking up the note. I recognized my name written on the front instantly by the delicate cursive, it was from Cecily. Just thinking about her made my heart clench. I think we both said things we didn't mean last night, but she usually had no trouble talking to me.

I unfolded the note, and noticed several dots on the page, and ink was smeared like water on a windowpane. She had been crying, when she wrote this, that was obvious. The letters not smeared with tears were shaky and not the usual pristine neatness they usually were. Something was wrong…

_Harry,_

_I have to leave, so I won't hurt anyone else. You were right, I've changed, and it's not for the better. Can you ever forgive such a unforgivable act? I know I will never forgive myself for hurting you. The fight was petty, and I'm sorry._

_But I still can't sit by and let him hurt more people. Someday, I hope you can understand. Until then, I'll keep in touch. As for Mum and Dad…tell them I can't be sorry enough for what I've done._

_All my love, _

_Cecily_

I stared dumbly at the note for a moment, then leapt out of bed and ran out of the hospital wing. After a few moments, I breathlessly said the password and ran into the common room. The room was empty. Cursing, I went to run up into the girls dormitory, and surprisingly, it let me. I skidded to a halt by her familiar trunk.

It was open. All her books and school supplies were neatly stacked inside, but her cloak, broom and bag were gone. A breeze lazily drifted in from the open window, and a terrible idea clicked into my head. I dashed to the window and stuck my head out, looking right to left. The day was a warm one, for the beginning of spring, but everything seemed, fixed, too normal.

I could just picture her jumping out the window, and flying off. She couldn't have left. She barely hurt me, and we were both angry…

I took off again, heading for Dumbledore's office. I hastily said the password and entered without knocking to a surprised Dumbledore feeding Fawkes, who sang in greeting."Harry? Why aren't you in the hospital wing?" he asked, looking worried.

"She…left." I said breathlessly, falling into the chair in front of his desk as I was suddenly drained of energy. A stitch throbbed sharply in my side.

"Who left?" Dumbledore asked, still totally confused.

"_Cecily!_ She…left. Because of me. She's gone." I wordlessly handed Dumbledore the note and buried my face in my hands. Why did she go?! She couldn't have possibly believed me, yet she had left. This was my fault, all of it.

I heard the letter fall, and looked up. Dumbledore looked horrified. He blinked rapidly and hurried to his desk and rummaged until he pulled out a little book, and flipped hurriedly to a marked page and read something. He then surprised me by cursing rather harshly and throwing the book at me, which I caught.

"Read. She went after it with _no_ preparation, and _no_ training. _Nothing_ will help her out there, _nothing!_" he said angrily, and started scrawling a letter as I read the story, a chill going up my spine. She had been serious all along, this was legit.

I set the book back down on the desk, dazed. I weakly leaned back in the chair as Dumbledore finished his letter and almost threw the poor owl out the window. Then he leaned over the desk and reopened the book and pointed to the one line underlined in ink, about the only known records of the city and where they disappeared.

It was Knockturn Alley. Of course. "She most likely went there, for a start, which is almost as dangerous as going right after Voldemort. I already notified your parents, but if we are to catch her, we have to leave now. Do you feel well enough to come?" He asked, his words almost rushed as he moved to the fireplace, getting a fistful of Floo Powder from the elegant sack hanging on the wall next to it.

I leapt out of the chair, letting that be my answer, and took a handful of Floo Powder. He went first, and I followed as fast as I dared. I almost had to run to catch up to Dumbledore as we left Ollivander's abandoned shop, covered in ash. He was almost running himself as we both pulled our wands and entered Knockturn Alley, looking around.

After several tense minutes, we stopped outside of a decrepit book shop. After glancing up and down the street, he entered the shop, and I followed. The place was dank, and smelled terribly. I glanced hastily around the shop, looking for the slim, hooded silhouette I had come to recognize as Cecily.

Dumbledore went over to the desk as I rotated on the spot, peering down rows of shelves, looking for Cecily. She had to be here somewhere…Dumbledore came over, looking angry. "She was here, but she left already, and she bought something. I don't know what it was, he won't tell me." He said quickly and quietly as we left the shop. "So, I have no idea if she's on the right track or not." My heart sank, but I tried to think clearly.

"If it was me, I would stop somewhere to rest and eat now, and think about my next move. We need to look for inns around here. Do you think she would go to the Leaky Cauldron?" I asked after a minute. He frowned.

"Stay in Diagon Alley, and ask around. Check all the inns you feel comfortable going into. Be _careful._" He stressed, then turned around and strode back into Knockturn Alley. After a moment of despair, I moved deeper into Diagon Alley, asking questions to shop keepers around the entrance to Diagon Alley, without much success.

Would I ever find her again?


	52. Chapter 52

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Two-

CECILY POV

I walked faster than I should have through the London streets, my broom wrapped in my cloak, in my arms, my bag around my neck and bouncing on my hip. The broom looked like I had bought a rug, which pleased me. I couldn't look strange to the Muggles.

As soon as I got far enough away from the city, I could fly. The book I had purchased in the book store was my smoking gun, it was actually an atlas of the English countryside from about 75 years ago. Eliv's parents would have moved to that area, totally deserted around that time. **(Remember, around 50 years ago in Harry's second year Voldemort had been a third year)**

I was looking for a particular ruin, one rumored to move about the moors, yet it was in perfect condition, a sure sign of magic. My stomach rumbled a little, but I ignored it. I had already purchased rations, but I didn't want to stop. I knew that my family would search for me, the opposite of what I wanted. They couldn't catch me yet.

I ended up taking the subway as far as I could out of London, and I took the Muggle buses to the countryside. I couldn't use the KnightBus, that would be one of the first places Dumbledore would check.

As night fell, I stopped walking on the gravel road I was on and put on my cloak, and took off. Flying was best at night, I could cover more ground without being seen. I checked my map and then booked it, heading east toward the long gone town of Dargason.

HARRY POV

After checking every inn and store, I met back with Dumbledore, who took me back to school. Mum and Dad with Sirius were already there, waiting in Dumbledore's office. Mum had been crying, and she immediately swept me into a hug and carefully patted my healed shoulders with shaking hands.

"Unless I can find a source similar to the one she bought in a shop in Diagon Alley, her trail is gone." Dumbledore said heavily. "She wasn't in any inns near the area, Muggle and Magical, so I can assume she didn't stop." He said quietly, and sat down in front of his desk, shaking his head. "This is incredibly dangerous. If she is going after the wrong lead or going places unprotected…Voldemort could easily track her down." He sighed, rubbing his face, and my stomach plummeted.

"Did you check the KnightBus, any other sort of magical transportation she could have taken?" Dad said after a minute. Dumbledore shook his head.

"She took her broom with her, she wouldn't take the bus, but I'll check. The only other thing you can do is alert the wizarding world with a missing notice. But then, you would be letting the Death Eaters know that she's missing, and that's as good as sending Voldemort a letter telling him she's gone." Dumbledore looked very worried.

"Why did she leave?" Sirius asked, sounding strained. I stiffened but handed him the note, which he read silently, then dropped back on the desk. "What was the fight about?" Sirius almost whispered. "What could you have fought about that would make her _leave?_"

"It was about Voldemort." I said, and Sirius's face hardened over. He was on the side I used to be on, the side against trying to help him. But now, I was unsure. If this proved to be true, Tom Riddle would have been an innocent man, with a situation strikingly similar to Cecily's.

"She says she'll keep in touch!" Mum said shakily, but in relief as she read the note and passed it to Dad.

"How will she do that, hmm?" Sirius hissed angrily, and started pacing around the room, which fell silent for a moment, before the Weasley's crowded in, along with Hermione. For a moment, there were only quiet greetings as the Weasley's received the latest news from Sirius."We can't find her." He snarled, still in a bad mood. Suddenly, Hermione shrieked and backed away from a small mirror hanging in-between two larger portraits. A watery image slowly righted itself. I got the chills as I realized Cecily was communicating through a mirror, like she had with me.

She looked tired. Her hair was wet, and I could barely make out rain falling in the dim light, the sun was just rising, like it was here. Large trees with huge flat leaves showed behind her, large rain drops falling from them. She opened her mouth to say something, but Sirius barged up to the mirror and started yelling. "Come home, _now!"_ He ordered, and she flinched.

"I can't. It's not safe. I can't make the same mistake twice." She said softly.

"What are you talking about?" I said half angrily, half incredulous. She couldn't possibly still think that what I said was true…

She froze, looking absolutely tortured. "You know what I mean." She said tonelessly, but her eyes were almost on fire with pain. "I'll keep in touch." She disappeared as quickly as she had come with a soft goodbye.

"Damn it, this is my fault." I swore. "If I had just trusted her, this wouldn't have happened." I stopped at the look on Dumbledore's face. He was _smiling._

"I know where she is, her surroundings told me that much." He said, Summoning a book from one of the huge shelves and flipping through it as I flopped onto a chair, still angry with myself. "Burnam Wood. The only forest in Britain with trees like you saw. Good for us, it's fairly small and not too far away, especially because we can Apparate." Dumbledore said. After a moment, we were all heading for the door.

"Wait a minute, kids, you have to stay in school, and the members of the Order will be contacted, and they will go and get her. It's not safe for you to--" Dad started firmly, and we erupted in protest.

"She's like my older sister!" Ginny wailed.

"She's _my_ older sister!" I interjected angrily.

"Why can't we go?" The twins said at the same time, indignant.

"_Enough!_ This isn't safe, not even for her. And the more we argue, the more time we waste." Dumbledore said, cutting easily through the noise. He was over by the window, and as he spoke, he opened it and Fawkes darted outside and disappeared in a burst of flame. "Now, I suggest you all go to your dormitories. You will not be left out in this in anyway, you will be contacted whenever there is news." Dumbledore said firmly. In a burst of grumbling, I pushed out the door and stalked off angrily. This was my fault, and I couldn't' even correct it.

CECILY POV

I walked deep into the woods, even though I was tired. I walked on logs and sometimes even flew through the wood, trying to keep anyone from following me. Eventually, I had to stop. I flew up into the highest tree I could find, and nestled in amongst the tightly knit branches. After checking the area for souls or anything that could harm me, I settled down and fell instantly asleep.


	53. Chapter 53

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Three-

CECILY POV

I woke up when I heard voices. Instantly, I curled up in a tighter ball, scanning down at the forest floor, looking for people. After a few minutes, a large group of people came into view, stepping over fallen logs and calling for me. I recognized Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley and Mad Eye Moody among the crowd, but I stayed down.

None of them would help me, and I would only hurt them later. I watched them split up and begin to cover the forest floor, looking up into the trees occasionally. When the forest started to quiet down, I silently picked up my belongings, and started climbing to the very top. The forest was dense, hopefully they wouldn't see me.

I sat at the top of the tree, and took a moment to scan the horizon for a blip, something that would indicate a ruin or town. It was cool up here, for spring, and the wind was swift. I stood up and the branch bent a little, creaking.

I bounced a few times, getting momentum, then jumped as high as I could and flew up to a safe height. I could only hope they didn't bring brooms…

My eyes landed on a small gray blob, and I sped toward it, putting distance between myself and the Order. I continued to fly even when it was dark, but lower to the ground, and with my left hand uncovered, so I could see.

I quickly got off my broom and stared at the small town that had so abruptly come up out of the mist. I walked a little ways to a stump, and sat down and ate something for the first time. Then I took out my atlas and checked my location and felt my excitement increase. I was right outside of Dargason, the lost city where Eliv grew up.

I repacked my bag and stretched out. Then I carefully walked the short distance into the ghost town, wary. Everything was silent, and I could feel soul residue almost everywhere, but no spirits. Slightly comforted by that, I took a moment to 'get in the moment.' The entire soul residue shared the feeling of fright. Everyone had been fleeing the town.

I walked carefully on the weedy road and stopped by each building, gathering information as to where everyone had lived. The town had been shaped like a cross, with a small worn down center of town that consisted of hardened dirt. I stopped there and scanned the two roads, but nothing moved except for the decrepit houses in the wind, their ruins creaking ominously. After walking down one half of the cross with no success, I started down the other side. Halfway down, I felt it. The despair and hatred coming from a few houses away was hard to even comprehend.

I walked down the street and stopped in front of the house that had emerged from the gloom in shock. All the other houses and buildings in town were destroyed. This house was the finest house I had ever seen, and was in perfect condition. Everything inside its high, rough stone walls hadn't aged a day. Cautiously, I pushed open the huge gate, and propped it open firmly with a big rock. Even if I had a broom, I needed to be able to get out quickly. Then I hesitantly started up the smooth stone path. Beautiful flowers were still blooming all around me, frozen in time. Even the smell remained.

I hesitated at the door. The shiny bronze knocker showed me my reflection. I stared at myself a moment, taking in the damp hair, the tired eyes, the still visible cheekbones. I quickly opened the door and stayed where I was, tensed, ready to fight, but the hallway was empty and spotlessly clean. It was eerie, like everyone had simply vanished one day.

I got another rock and propped open the door, and then I quickly stepped across the threshold. Nothing happened, but the house seemed to perk up in interest, like it was glad to be occupied once more. I peeked into the spotless kitchen, the stiff parlor, and even the shiny bathroom. I was looking for a study or some kind of cabinet full of artifacts. The parlor only had a smoking cabinet, with the tobacco still packed into someone's pipe.

I found the study, but it was only full of bookshelves, and I even found a half written letter to a Beatrice on a table, next to a ink pot and quill that when I inspected them, could still be used.

After I double checked the downstairs, even knocked on walls for safes, I moved to the second floor. Some of the pretty glamour was gone, and the darker, more gothic side of the house came out. The bedrooms were stiff and cold. The story said that his soul was put in only when he died, but judging by what I could see, he died very young.

I stood in the doorway of a room I immediately compared to Harry's, and grief shot through me as I pictured his face from the last time I had seen him. He had still looked angry…angry at me.

I shook my head frantically to disperse the image and stepped into Eliv's room. Compared to the rest of the house, it was a mess. Old fashioned clothes were piled everywhere, thrown around the room. Books and paper were scattered at random, in a hurried, fine script. The whole room seemed to shutter as I picked one up. The print was unfaded, so I could read it clearly.

It was data, notes on pure blood wizards. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. The only house preserved was this one, where wizards had lived. Could they have been the only magical people in town? That would explain why the house seemed so different…

I felt some of the soul residue on the paper and froze. Eliv had been so thrilled, his research and polling of the amount of pureblood families left had been completed. All he had to do was project the amount for the future…

I dropped the page and searched the room until I had all the pages, and read his report. He had estimated that by this time, no families that were pure blood would remain, unless something was done…

I noticed that on the lengthy list of names, his family was not included. Suspicion clouded into my mind. Why would he, a half-blood who would have been scorned in this time, be trying to find out information that would benefit the pure-bloods?

I opened his wardrobe and leapt back, expecting something to attack me. But it was just full of nicer clothes, oddly neat for his room, and a shoebox up at the top. I took the box and sat gingerly down on his bed, which crackled.

Steeling myself, I opened the lid.


	54. Chapter 54

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Four-

CECILY POV

I radiated with disappointment. The box only held pictures of a girl, and a bit of soul residue that was filled with love. Great, so the boy had a crush. I lifted out the pictures and flipped through them when a name on the back caught my eye. I had seen that name before… I flipped through his report again, until I got to the list. Ahahaa. She had been a pure-blood. I could almost feel the frustration of the both of them.

That's why he needed to do the report. To prove that marrying her wouldn't matter in the future anyway. But someone hadn't liked that at all…his purebred father. I opened my eyes, not realizing I had closed them from following the connection so closely, feeling disgusted. His own father had killed him, to keep the report a secret. All for a bit more power in society. That's why Eliv wanted revenge. But why was he in a half-blood body, persecuting half-bloods, his own kind? The very same people who were on his side were getting punished as he killed their descendents.

I carefully put the box and the report in my bag, and searched the rest of his desk. I was tempted to take books from here, they were all so interesting. But this house could still want to kill me. I walked back downstairs after searching the parents room and finding nothing. I went back into the study out of frustration. Nothing else here pointed me to the amulet itself. I could tell it was here, the hatred from this house was strong. I checked the list again. Marvolo was on it, Voldemort's grandfather, and his mother was on the list too. Not that helped.

I groaned and threw the atlas book at the wall. The whole room trembled, and I froze. Then the wall slid silently back to reveal a room of all things. I went over and picked up my book, peering into the room. It was cold, harsh stone, and only half a table and chair could be seen from where I was, half shrouded in gloom.

I hesitantly stepped inside, and as the wall silently closed behind me, and lights from the ceiling came on like they were brand new, making me blink. I turned around to examine the wall in front of me, and noticed a lever to reopen the wall.

Feeling slightly less claustrophobic, I moved into the room more and looked quickly around. I completely froze at the sight of manacles on the wall. I moved hastily back from them and bumped into the chair. I turned around and shrieked. Sitting on the table was a huge black and gold necklace, with a large ruby set in the center. The hatred bubbling off the thing scared even me.

After several shaky deep breaths, I stepped back, and felt wood underneath my foot. Looking down, I saw it was a trapdoor, with a still shiny iron handle. Compelled, I wanted to open it. But this was getting dangerous...far to dangerous. I hadn't planned on finding such a dark artifact so quickly. I considered asking Dumbledore for help, and decided that if the family was there, I would just leave. Better than not trying at all, right? I backed into the farthest corner that held no decoration and opened my bag, pulling out the tiny, warped mirror I had used to contact Dumbledore before. If I was going to die, I wanted to see my family first, or at least another human being.

After a moment, I was looking in at Dumbledore's office. It appeared empty, expect for Fawkes, who was sitting calmly on his stand, gazing around. His gaze stopped on me, and he cocked his magnificent head, watching me with a piercing gaze similar to Dumbledore's. He hummed a single note and tucked his head under his wing. The sun glimmered on the sword case and on all of his whirring instruments, making the place sparkle. I lingered. I knew that wasn't smart, but his office comforted me.

I bit my lip to keep from screaming when I heard a sudden noise. I titled my head to see, and found that Harry was asleep in the large, tall chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, the reason why I hadn't seen him before. He had shifted and a book fell of his lap, making the noise. I felt moisture well up in my eyes as I watched him sleep. He looked tired, almost disturbed. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he stirred restlessly from time to time. He didn't seem to be hurt anymore, and for that, I was glad. But I was afraid to go back to my family. If I could hurt Harry that easily, what would I do to Ginny by accident? Or Mum and Dad? I nearly crushed him when I hugged him in the Hospital Wing.

Hopefully, if I could free Voldemort, things could go back to normal. "This is for you, Harry." I said softly, and broke the connection as he stirred at the sound of a voice. I walked back over to the trapdoor, and stared at it. It was closer to the manacles then I would have liked. The soul residue screamed with desperation and pain, but no evil was there. I cautiously kicked it open.

Inside were supplies. This must have been the 'hide from the Muggles and their prosecution' room, I had learned about this in History of Magic. Magic families blending with society would have a secret room in their house to hide from prosecution if they were discovered. But I could tell by the room, only Eliv and his father had ever been in here, so it couldn't have been used for that purpose…

I carefully squatted next to the trapdoor and noticed something out of place. A small tin, probably for tobacco was squished in-between two sacks. I picked it up and examined it.

The desperation and pain seemed to emanate from inside and fear rang throughout my brain, but it wasn't mine. It was Eliv's. The small blood smear in a fingertip shape made me flinch. It was still fresh. Eliv's imprisonment and the curse must have happened in a quick succession, because the whole house seemed to be preserved in a instant.

I opened the tin, and found it filled to the top with memories, making my déjà vu come screaming back, and I started to tremble. My sadness increased, not just for me and my family, but for Eliv too. "For you, Harry." I whispered, and entered the memory.


	55. Chapter 55

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Five-

CECILY POV

_The room was dark, all the lights were put out. My wrists and ankles were screaming with pain, my sleeves dark with blood. My wand was still snapped in half over in the corner where Father had dropped it. All of my work, all of my love for Beatrice would be worth nothing. One moment, I was writing her a letter, the next, Father had knocked me out. Hate swelled in me as I thought of him._

"_You will pay for what you have done," I whispered almost silently. "I will do everything in my power to keep half-bloods safe from you." I shifted, and my amulet, a gift from Beatrice Thilg, my girlfriend shifted too. It was for protection, but it wasn't working. The wall slid open and Father walked in._

"_If you don't renounce this report, I will kill you and burn it. No one can know of what you have discovered." He said harshly, sitting down on the chair, watching me._

"_Then you will die too, everyone in the house will vanish,, and nothing will change. Nothing will happen if you destroy what I've found." I hissed. Father killing me wouldn't destroy what I had found, not by a long shot. _

_He grimaced. "So be it." He said, and pulled out a knife and advanced, the wooden trapdoor creaking under his feet. He calmly undid the wrist manacles slowly, but then in one quick movement, seized my hair and drew his knife over my throat. My throat felt like it was on fire as he let me fall. I could only focus on one thing, leaving proof to what he had done. Shakily, I pulled out my tobacco tin as he stepped back, pleased, as blood ran down my front in a warm cascade. Feeling my life slipping away, I barely lifted the trapdoor as my limbs began to shake._

"_I hate you," I meant to snarl, but it came out as a gurgle. I felt a strange shrieking and tingling feeling racing through me before--_

I lay flat on my back, gasping. The tin closed and fell to the floor with a quiet clinking sound. He preserved the house, and unknowingly, his soul into the amulet. He thought he was keeping the half-bloods safe by killing them. He had lost Beatrice Thilg forever. I stood up to quickly, and fell heavily onto the same chair Eliv's father watched him die on. My hate for the man increased in the same way my frustration at Harry had. Eliv's father had been twisted and cruel. Eliv couldn't have been more than 17 when he died. I sat down shakily, and stared deep into the large ruby. It seemed almost wet, and I knew that was blood, Eliv's blood.

I could just picture it, Marvolo taking his grandson to the cursed house he knew of, cursing him as punishment to his daughter for marrying a Muggle… Tom Riddle could have easily been exposed to this, turned into Voldemort. Marvolo and his daughter had been on Eliv's list, and Marvolo could have been cruel enough, being a pureblood…

My fingertips hesitated a few inches from the ruby. I had to know the truth, but at what cost?

HARRY POV

"_Nothing?_ Not one thing? No towns, no shacks, _nothing?"_ I groaned, and sank back into the chair. I had a terrible dream. Cecily was holding a knife to her throat. She had said, "For you, Harry," Right before she cut her own throat, I woke up. A few minutes later, Dumbledore had returned, with no new news.

"It seems like nothings there. Every time we walk through this mist…we come out some place else on the moor. Something is keeping a large section of the moor away from us, and that's probably where she is." He sighed.

"How can you displace a whole town?" I asked half in frustration. It was more of a rhetorical question, and Dumbledore didn't answer. "Tell me everything you know about this Amulet of Thilg." I demanded, getting up and pacing around.

"It is a cursed amulet that turns anyone who touches it into a dark and evil thing. It possesses them." Dumbledore said tiredly.

"But when she touched that cursed necklace before it strengthened her, right?" I asked, but he was already shaking his head.

"This is not a curse cast by a spell, but one cast by hate and fear. They are the most dangerous kind, I am afraid." He said slowly, and I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. My stupidity had put her in danger, she could be killed so easily. The amulet had to be there, and she had to be there too. Why else could we not enter?

CECILY POV

I stared at my own reflection in the ruby, trying to make a decision. If I touched it, I would probably be dead or a slave to Eliv's hate, like Voldemort was. But in order to free him, I'd have to contact Eliv…an idea popped into my brain so suddenly, I felt stupid for not thinking about it before. I spread my hand out, palm towards the ruby and closed my eyes, determined to pull out Eliv's spirit. "Eliv Thane. Let me speak with you, please." I said quietly to the eerie room.

I bowed my head to touch the back of my hand as I felt a whisper. Focusing everything I had, I shouted his name. After a moment, I heard a voice. "Who can, and dare to rouse me?" An extremely angry teenager's voice filled the room, and I was instantly reminded of Harry again, and a pang of loss shot through me.

"We've met before." I said firmly, and he thought about it. I could have smacked myself for being cryptic at a time like this, but we had met. I had prodded him when trying to get into Voldemort's true soul.

"You attacked me." The voice said sulkily, with malicious intent.

"You tried to possess me, Eliv. Haven't you hurt me enough?" I said bitterly before I realized what I had said. I winced at my stupidity.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded angrily. "I don't know you."

"The man you are possessing, Tom Riddle. I'm the one you ordered him to kidnap, starve, torture and almost kill. You also had him attempt and kill most of my family." I snapped, not in the mood, suddenly not caring about prestige, or his feelings, or even my own.

He didn't say anything.

"I know that you've known that I was here. That I put together the pieces you left behind. Why are you making Tom Riddle, who you possessed as a _baby_ do all these terrible things to half-bloods! You're not keeping us safe, Eliv. You've only hurt people." I quickly stopped as I realized how foolish I was being.

"You obviously don't understand. They are the reason I was murdered in the first place. They should all pay for it. I feel hate for everyone of them, even you. That _Tom Riddle_ loves you, it makes me sick! I hate myself, and I hate half-bloods!" He roared. I stayed where I was, eyes open now, watching the face of Eliv Thane in the Amulet of Thilg as he watched me. He was staying under his own power, which probably wasn't a good thing.

He had dirty blond hair in loose locks all around his face. His eyes were an amazing blue, but were narrowed with hate. But he reminded me so much of Harry, it hurt. I bit my lip, angry that I couldn't control my sadness like I usually could, and I found myself to be crying."Why the devil are you crying? You should just off yourself right now and do me and the world a favor." He snarled, but sounded curious.

"I'm crying for you." I whispered, and closed my eyes, to overwhelmed to say anything more, and hating myself for it. I called to all the spirits I knew, asking about Eliv Thane, and one rushed forward and enveloped me, making me cry harder. I had been right all along.

"Don't play games with me. I feel your self hate, but why do you cry for me?" He demanded again, still rude. I couldn't believe he had forgotten so easily.

"I'm crying because I have been cursed with the Ring of Macabre, and I'm crying with Beatrice." I choked, filling up with Beatrice's despair for her lost love.

"_What?"_ Eliv gasped, and the whole house seemed to shudder. Or maybe that was me… It must have been, because Eliv said, "Don't you dare leave now. Answer me!" and when I slowly opened my eyes, he was peering hungrily from inside the ruby. His resemblance to Harry was striking, making some of my own tears fall recklessly down my face.

"The only reason I survived your attacks through Tom Riddle was because the spirits that live in the ring keep me alive. Beatrice is here with me…" I took a deep breath, and let her talk through me, letting her almost completely take over in my angusih.

"Eliv…Eliv, what have you done?" I whispered my voice as lovely as a bird singing. I heard Eliv gasp again.

"Come to me, Eliv. This girl can help you; I've been with her since the beginning. Let her help you, please." She begged lightly, her voice thick with tears. I was so far immersed, when Beatrice began to cry again, I did too. I felt them sliding down my face and hitting the table with quiet drops.

"Let her set you free. Be free from your hate, Eliv." Beatrice gasped in a sob through me, and her tears fell spectacularly down my face. Several decades' worth of sadness was radiating through her into me. I heard a strange shrieking noise, and then silence.

"Beatrice…" Eliv whispered, and a strange shiver raced through me, shaking me. I realized it was their love, locked away for decades and was now coming out. Eliv's hate must be gone. I could barely feel the slight satisfaction and happiness for my accomplishment. I felt like I was floating in clouds.

"No, we're losing her, hurry Eliv!' Beatrice said, and I didn't understand what she was saying. One last tear fell down my cheek, and instead of hitting the table with the quiet drop, it sizzled.

"Touch the stone, Cecily. Please, don't do this, don't leave me here." Eliv pleaded in my ears, which were starting to ring. "It won't hurt you, my hate is gone, thanks to you…just touch it…" it sounded like he was almost crying. I knew he was lying though. I could still feel the layers and layers of hate, anger and fear in the amulet. But I couldn't leave him, alone but free from the feelings and curse that had separated him from his love.

In a sudden release, my hand dipped, and my fingertips touched the cold, wet stone that made me shudder continuously. Suddenly, all his hate, anger and fear that he had been storing flowed into my body, making me shriek in pain. All those powerful emotions that had been stewing for 70 odd years were suddenly released, and were looking for a new home…


	56. Chapter 56

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Six-

CECILY POV

My body was slumped in the chair, and an eerie silence descended as I slowly slipped out of the chair and fell onto the floor. Beatrice was right in my fingertips, ready to embrace Eliv for the first time in decades, the amulet tight in my fist. I wanted to give her that chance…

The hate latched onto my worst fears. I hated Tom Riddle. He had abused me, let someone rape me, kill most of my family, hurt them, hurt me, killed me… He deserved to die for what he had done to me. I still feared him as he was, Voldemort. When he had whipped me, starved me. The quiet, mocking laugh. The cold, high voice, and the smug look on his face as I would bleed…

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Eliv said painfully each time I tensed and cried with pain as each memory slapped me in the face. I was refusing to cry, to scream. I was trying to remain sane. Desperatley, I flicked through my organized thoughts and memories like a book. I scarcely remembered the first feelings I had felt when I first thought about what would have happened to Tom Riddle if he had been possessed. He would have been like me…

The hate was wrong. It had to be. I had felt Tom Riddle's soul… he was innocent. The hate recoiled so fast, it gave me a stinging, energy stealing backlash, making me whimper and Eliv groan in helplessness.

The fear flooded in as fast as it could. I was going to die here, never see Harry or my family again. Even if I did survive, I would only hurt him again. My own tears started streaming down my face, and this time, Eliv was a silent observer, unable to apologize for anything.

"Cecily, I've known you long enough. You hurting your brother was an accident. I believe in you." Beatrice said firmly, and the fear screeched and vanished as quickly as it had come at her words, making convulse, gasping for air. I could only breathe for a second as nothing seemed to happen. The floor was cold, my body tired.

The anger seeped in slowly, fueling me. I angrily stood up, the amulet clenched in my fist. "I hate you Eliv! You have ruined everything for me. I wouldn't be cursed and wearing this damn ring if you hadn't existed! Damn you!!" I screamed, my right palm starting to cramp as I squeezed the amulet tighter and tighter. I felt the skin break and my own blood stain the now pure diamond.

"Calm down, Cecily. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry!" Eliv cried, pushing against the stone in my fist, but his decades of coursing anger was blocking him and racing in my veins. I would keep him there, he deserved a tragedy, like my life had been. I wanted to kill him again, cause him pain like he had to me, beat him, starve him, and poison him…_anything._

"Don't mess with me! _I HATE YOU!_" I screeched until my throat couldn't produce anymore sound. The hate was starting to take me over, shove me aside…

"If Eliv hadn't made Tom Riddle do this to you, you would be dead, all of your family would be dead, and nothing good would come of this! Your hate is useless!" Beatrice said frantically in my ears. The hate wrapped around me like the suffocating thick leather straps I used to be bound in. I groaned, trying to shove the hate away, totally drained. She was right…the hate turned around and hit me so hard; I screamed each time as it did it again, and again and _again._ Each time was slower, but the pain became more intense with each strike. I could hardly feel my body crumple and fall back to the stone.

I was drowning in all the pain I had ever felt in my life, but still fighting the almost impossible fight against the suffocating anger. I wanted to accept it, I had been wronged. But I also new that Eliv was also innocent. He had been brutally murdered. My back arched, and it felt like my chest would hit the ceiling as screamed and screamed and screamed. It felt like my heart was being ripped away from me. It was worse than death.

"Cecily, Harry loves you! You know that! Stay true for your family, they love you too!" Beatrice had to shout to be heard over my screaming. As soon as that thought clicked in my brain, the anger exploded painfully, and I barely felt Eliv pass through the stone into Beatrice's arms. I stayed frozen, arched and trembling as the pain sunk into me like shrapnel, leaving wounds and soreness I couldn't see but could definitely feel.

Their happiness rushed lightly through me like a breeze, but I couldn't enjoy it. I couldn't even tell if I was breathing. "Tom Riddle, he's free now, Cecily. You did it. Now please, live." Eliv said pleadingly in my brain, but I couldn't answer. My body was numbing over, and I could somehow tell this was the most dangerous part of my journey. If I didn't survive, it would have all been in vain.

I don't know how long I just lay there, gasping, but Eliv and Beatrice stayed, waiting for me to respond. They shared my own memories with me, trying to give me hope; make me responsive. I couldn't do it for them, I couldn't summon the energy to feel.

I slowly opened my eyes an innumerable amount of time later. I had ended up sprawled across the floor, the amulet still clasped in my hand. Dried blood was covering the palm of my hand and down the inside of my forearm, like a Dark Mark. "Cecily, are you alright?" Eliv asked worriedly when I just stared blankly at the ceiling.

I groaned in response and slowly moved my arms, wincing. I froze when I saw the amulet in my hand. The stone was no longer a ruby, but the shimmering diamond had returned, even though it was stained with blood, blood that was mine. Beatrice's tears had washed away the blood, hate, anger and fear on the surface, and I had killed the feelings within.

"You saved me. You saved Tom Riddle." Eliv said quietly, and I hissed as I slowly crawled across the room to my bag, and with shaking hands, dug out the food. I could barely eat, but after awhile, I started to feel better.

"How long did it go on?" I whispered, propped against a wall, eyes closed. I still felt weak, almost nauseous. I knew it would take me awhile to heal. I couldn't fathom trying to will my injuries away, considering they were inside of me, to deep to find.

"It took almost three days, and that's just when it ended. I'm so _so_ sorry." He apologized quickly as I gasped. It had seemed to go so fast…

I bit my lip and rummaged in my bag with one hand as I kept my eyes closed, to ashamed to say anything. I swore weakly and slumped as my fingers closed around the mirror. There was no way I could communicate now. I wasn't even strong enough to stand up.

Despair slowly leaking inside me; I slowly let myself fall over. Exhaustion over took me, and I fell into a deep sleep.


	57. Chapter 57

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Seven-

HARRY POV

I made my parents take me to ground zero when 4 days went by with nothing. The whole world seemed to have disappeared; the thick mist hid everything from sight. Large purple lights were cast around our group in a circle, in case Cecily showed up and got lost.

Everyone was silent, yet always on edge. Patrols were scouting constantly, and they would always return saying they had ended up walking into the thickest mist and being spit out where there was none.

What frustrated me was that I _knew_ it was there. It had to exist, _something_ was there. But for some reason, nobody could access it. One night, there was a storm, and I swear I heard screaming, but in the morning, nothing was there. It was driving me mad…

CECILY POV

I woke up feeling much better, but I was confused. I was on something soft, surrounded by warmth. Had the members of the Order found me? I slowly opened my eyes. I was curled up in a bed I recognized, Eliv's bed. But how did I get here from all the way downstairs? I hadn't resurrected Eliv…that meant someone else was here!

I sat up quickly when I noticed that someone was leaning in the doorway. The person was a young man, dressed in old fashioned clothing and dark robes. I couldn't see his face, but his head was covered in brown hair. As he turned at my sudden gasp, I saw his absurdly handsome face. My sudden movement made my head pound and spin, and I had to lean against the wall, watching the stranger warily, even though I wanted to groan with pain. Before I had to close my eyes again, I saw his forehead crease with worry. My body seemed to be bone-less, and it stung sharply, almost making me whimper.

"Cecily?" a voice asked softly, and I felt tender fingertips brushing hair away from my forehead. I didn't know this man, but if I was going to live, I would have to trust him.

I groaned tiredly in response, my mind fried. I heard the young man laugh shakily and sit heavily on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Mmm," I mumbled tiredly. I was confused. One, I had felt alright when I woke up, but now I was like mush. Two, I had no idea who this man was, and I was still in a cursed house in a moving ghost town. Three, I hadn't talked to my family in…I had no idea. All of that pressure and tension pushing on my already exhausted brain was too much.

"Cecily!" Two strong hands caught me as I started to slide downward. I let the hands hold me up, as I tried to reassemble my brain cells as the pain hit me as it was suddenly un-forgotten. He tilted me forward and I slumped lightly onto his chest, and I felt a necklace around his neck.

"Eliv, what do I do?! She's _not_ ok, she's hurt!" The man's voice was so agitated, it bothered me. I wanted to sleep and never wake up. And, he was talking to Eliv, who was supposedly inside me…

"She needs rest and nourishment, I think. It was terrible to watch, I can't fathom what is was like to go through. I don't know what we would have done if you didn't show up." Eliv's voice rang clearly by my ear, but I was too tired to react or try to think why Eliv's voice could clearly be heard aloud.

"Are you sure?" The man said worriedly, holding me up by the shoulders, my head resting on his shoulder.

"Well, yes, I suppose." Eliv admitted, and the man groaned, and set me gently back down, as if I was made of glass. I was felt like a corpse.

"She saved you, me, and most of the wizarding world. I don't know what happened exactly, but it couldn't have been good." He fretted, stroking my hair. After a time I couldn't keep track of, I managed to open my eyes. The young man looked distraught, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

"W-who a-a-are you?" I croaked, too tired yet to speak coherently. He leapt about a foot in the air and knelt next to me, taking my hand.

"My name is Tom." He said quietly, watching me. I gasped silently in shock, and he gently squeezed my hand, looking concerned. Voldemort was gone, and in his place was an accurately aged young man named Tom Riddle. The man who had loved me the whole time even though he was forced to abuse me. The man I had set out to save.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I swear. When Eliv was still evil, he called upon me to come and stop you. On the way, you banished the evil, and I became myself again. I only found this house because Eliv was guiding me. He was worried, you didn't look good, and he and Beatrice had made their home in the amulet, they couldn't do anything. I put you back in his room, and he told me to put the amulet on, which I did, and now, well, I'm immortal." He said in a rush, looking terrified to see my reaction.

I closed my eyes in utter bewilderment. "Eliv, is that true?" I whispered shakily. Thinking hurt, and this huge confusing situation made me want to cry and fall back asleep to ease the pain I felt.

"Every word." Eliv said calmly, speaking through Tom like he had with me. But I was the only one I knew of who talked to spirits. How was he doing that?

"Beatrice and I had been moving through you, from the ring to the amulet, trying to get a response from you, but nothing was working. When Tom arrived, we were in the amulet when he picked you up, and since you weren't holding it securely because of your condition, it fell, and we were trapped inside. I told him to put it on so he could live forever, and so I could explain to him." Eliv finished.

"How l-l-long…h-have I been here?" I whispered again, eyes open now. Tom frowned.

"From what I can tell, a week and three days—" I shot up with a gasp and instantly regretted it. But I gritted my teeth and used Tom's arm to stay up, even though tears leaked from my eyes from the throbbing pulses in all my nerves.

"W-where is my b-b-bag, m-my mirror?? I-I have to l-let th-th-them know I'm alright-" I said frantically, losing coherency in my speech as I panicked. Tom put one finger on my lips, silencing me.

"You're not strong enough, you know that." He said sadly, and I quickly looked away. I could tell he still loved me, even now. And when everything hurt, and I couldn't move, I couldn't deal with this. I briefly thought about how easily he could rape me, like Avery had, and I had to take a few minutes to calm down.

"Tom," I started, but stopped. I had no idea what to say. "D-do you s-still—" He nodded to my unasked question and I closed my eyes.

"Cecily, please, _please_ don't judge me yet. Let me tell you my side of the story." He pleaded.


	58. Chapter 58

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Eight-

CECILY POV

"I can barely remember the takeover. I only remember the pain, then my life started before me. At the orphanage, doing terrible things to other children. At school, immersing myself in the dark arts. I wanted nothing to do with it, but I couldn't stop it. Every time I tried, I just lost more and more control over myself. I left school, and I slowly rose to power.

"The first time I killed someone, I wanted to die. But I was powerless, and by that time, Eliv had made my body age faster than it should have. I was only 5 years old, trapped in a twenty-something's body. By the time I was abducting you and killing off whole families, I had given up. But as I watched you grow up with me, I realized I could try again.

"Every time I had one of these moments of hope, I was forced to hurt you all the harder. I was only a few years older than you when I had to listen to Avery rape you. Some of my own anger started fueling my efforts to fight back. I admired your strength, your drive. Most people would have died long ago, and I was ashamed of myself for what was happening to you.

"I knew I was in love with you when Harry escaped. The less you were fed, the more in love I fell with you. This love was starting to drive Eliv crazy, he still loved Beatrice, and our situations are remarkably the same. When you got away, I was crushed. But I kept trying to get word to you, to let you know how much I loved you. Eliv twisted it every chance I tried. When I heard you had died and come back to life, I was so angry, I started having moments of clarity. And finally, the moment came when I felt Eliv starting to retreat, even though he summoned me to him, to stop you.

"I've watched you grow up, shared your pain. I love you Cecily. I know you could never forgive me for all the things I did and didn't do, but I love you just the same." I could only watch Tom as he watched me, looking so…inadequate. I didn't realize I was crying until he gently and slowly wiped one off of my skeletal face.

I hadn't been alone with the spirits. Tom had been there all along. He was the only one who truly understood what I had been through, and who I was. And I knew that I had already forgiven and fallen in love him the day I discovered he was a prisoner in his own body.

"Tom…I f-forgave you a long t-time ago…the day I fell in love with you without r-r-realizing it." I said softer than usual, but his handsome face lit up, and he picked me up and hugged me for a long time, which I couldn't return. I hated it.

"But T-tom, I have to let my family know I-I'm alright. I have to let them know you're alright. I-I have to c-c-clear your name." I vowed, and he gingerly helped me out of bed, one arm around my waist. My legs trembled, but I steeled myself and carefully put on my bag, gritting my teeth. Once he knew I could stand (sort of) on my own, he fastened my cloak for me, my hands were shaking terribly. During that time, I examined the amulet.

It was beautiful now, and I could see the two spirits intertwined in the pure, clear diamond. Their love would keep him alive forever. He picked up my broom and carried me down the stairs. As soon as we shut the gate, the lustrous house suddenly came alive. The flowers swayed in the cool breeze, the gate clanged and squeaked.

He smiled down at me and I felt my heart expand with happiness. He helped me limp through town, and as we stepped into the springy moss, the town started to disappear into wisps, melting into the mist. He kissed the top of my head and we walked in comfortable silence, occasionally saying a comment quietly as we walked. He seemed tireless, sometimes carrying me and my broom, even if I asked him to stop.

Unfortunately, he had to carry me a lot in the beginning. My whole body was still drained from the fight with Eliv's pent up emotions. Eventually, he let me limp more on my own. My only injury had been a cut across my palm, but I healed that quickly; but the cost was devastating. Tom had to carry me for a while; I had passed out. I was angry with him for not stopping, but he had insisted that we cover more ground.

I made him eat and stop with me, but then he kept going as soon as he was done, despite my protests. We talked quietly, about all those years we had unknowingly spent together. I knew I could trust him completely, and the feeling felt unreal. I had never been so connected with someone before.

"Do you see that?" I asked around the second day, and he instantly stopped. Off in the distance, a section of the mists glowed a light purple. "That's got to be them." I murmured, and he started again, helping me along.

HARRY POV

A depressed mood had set over the camp. We had someone in Dumbledore's office at all times, but she hadn't made contact. We couldn't find her, and we couldn't help her. For all I knew, she was dead. The thought twisted my stomach painfully enough to make me nauseous, so I quietly left my tent and paced in the mist, by one of the giant glowing orbs.

I threw a frustrated glance into the mist and froze, stunned. A dark shape that looked like two people, one limping, but being helped along by the other was coming through the mist. But my eyes were locked on the broom shape in the stronger ones free arm.

I stumbled forward a few hesitant steps as the people got closer. When they stopped for a second, I ran forward into the mist until I could clearly distinguish the two people. Cecily looked exhausted and drained, almost looking like she had directly after she was discharged from the hospital, maybe even before she had been admitted.

The young man holding her up I recognized. It was the handsome Tom Riddle from my second year, but without the smirk, the evil eyes. He hadn't seen me yet, he was only watching Cecily, who had her head on his shoulder, eyes closed, even though her legs were matching his pace, despite their trembling.

"_Cecily_?" I shouted. It couldn't be a dream, they looked too real. Cecily's head snapped up from his shoulder and her eyes met mine, her feet stopping. Tom went to pick her up until he noticed where she was looking, and he stopped too.

"Harry, oh Merlin—" She gently slid out of Tom's grip and came over as fast as she could go and hugged me tight. After a second, I returned it, dazed. She was alright, but she obviously wasn't, her back was shaking. She had freed Voldemort, but what happened to her?


	59. Chapter 59

-The Graveyard, Chapter Fifty Nine-

CECILY POV

"I'm so, _so_ sorry," I gasped, holding Harry tighter than I probably should have, but he didn't object. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I _swear_—" He cut me off by laughing, but it was muffled considering I was crushing him.

"Cecily, I was never angry with you for that. I'm sorry for not believing in you when I had the chance." He said sincerely, gently untangling himself from me and quickly looking me over, frowning. "But you were limping, are you alright?" His voice was filled with worry.

"I'm just a little tired." I fudged a bit, but he bought it. "Harry, this is Tom." I said happily, and he glanced at him a little nervously.

"It's a pleasure, Harry Potter. I do believe I owe you many apologizes.' Tom said softly. He was so worried that society would drive him away, still thinking he was evil.

"I thought you were older?" Harry asked a little suspiciously. His tone almost made me laugh. He sounded like a father talking to his daughters first date.

"I'll help him explain when I explain to everyone at once. There is no use going through it all more than once." I said, and Harry instantly brightened.

"I'll let them know you're coming." He said, and after one more careful glance at us, he ran off, leaving us to follow. Tom immediately wrapped one protective arm around my waist and we started off again. Feeling slightly like spaghetti, I let him easily maneuver me to the edge of camp, where he hastily let go as my family streamed toward me. Mum got to me first, and knocked us both over.

"Don't you_ ever_ do that to me again," She cried into my shoulder, and I apologized over and over again from where I was on the ground, smiling up at the circle of people who had formed around, the Order, Dad and Sirius, Harry. I saw Dumbledore beak off, presumably to talk to Tom, who was being ignored.

Mum got up and Dad helped me up then actually lifted me off the ground with his hug. Everyone wanted a hug, almost to check to see if I wouldn't melt away into the mist. "We have a lot to tell you," I said, and everyone kind of did a double take and looked at Tom, who was still talking to Dumbledore, but stopped at the sound of my voice, and smiled sheepishly at me, making my heart speed up.

"We?" Sirius asked, looking over with a confused expression. Upon seeing my face he said hastily, "Let's get inside, you can tell us then." Dad put a arm around my shoulders and the group followed us, Tom walking next to me and getting weird glances. I knew he had a wand, and could protect himself, but against that many Aurors he wouldn't have a chance.

We somehow packed into a tent and Tom ended up next to me at the head of a very long table, and he casually put his arm around the back of my chair, and I saw the heat starting to rise in all of my male family and friend's faces. Not good…

"Start from the beginning, Cecily." Dumbledore said calmly. He was the only one who knew the most info, but I would probably talk to him the longest.

"I got to Knockturn Alley without a problem, and found the book shop. In exchange for the book, which was actually an atlas, I gave the shopkeeper a service. I didn't want to stop, and I could travel fastest at night on a broom, so I got out of London by Muggle bus. I slept in Burnam Wood high in a tree. When I woke up, I just kept flying, following the atlas until I found Dargason, the city where Eliv grew up.

"I went in right away, and it wasn't hard to find the right house. It was perfectly preserved; under a curse. I was so paranoid, I propped open every door with rocks, but the house was deserted, nothing was there except for everything that had been in it as soon as the curse was sealed, never moving, but perfectly preserved.

"I searched the whole house, upstairs, downstairs, every room, but I couldn't find anything useful except for a old report about the dwindling number of pureblood families back then. The only thing I could conclude was that Eliv had a girlfriend, and that his father killed him because he wanted the report to kept a secret; it showed that pureblood families would die out, letting him marry his love. I was in the study when I got frustrated, and threw the atlas at a bookshelf. The whole bookshelf moved, there was a secret room behind it.

"The amulet was there…but I had first found a memory, which I brought with me, of how Eliv died. It gives me an idea as to how the curse was set and perhaps how Tom was exposed to it as a baby." I put the tin on the table and pushed on with the story. They could view it later.

"In the memory, Eliv's hate for his father killing him and keeping him from his love, Beatrice set a terrible curse fueled by his fear, anger and hate. I called up his spirit, Eliv Thane was his name. At first we talked, but when he told me he hated himself and half-bloods…I started to cry." I admitted, feeling heat rise into my face. Everyone exchanged glances. They knew that with the exception of the Hospital, I _never_ cried, not even when during a Quidditch game I fell 35 feet onto a pumpkin patch.

"He started to get mad at me; wanted to know why I was crying, and while he was asking, his love, Beatrice found me, and well, she had been so sad for so long, that she was crying _through_ me. It was dangerous, I had never let one spirit have that much control over me.

"She talked to him, and her tears crying onto the amulet washed away the blood, and set him free from that emotion. But in order to get him out, or her to him, I had to touch the amulet—"

"_You didn't!"_ Sirius said in shock, standing up. I nodded meekly and he sat down heavily. "Continue." He said, and I gave him a small smile before continuing.

"I touched it, and all that emotion went into me. By that time, I was drained already, but with Beatrice's and Eliv's help, I managed to fight them all off. I tried to make contact then, but I wasn't strong enough, and I fell asleep." Ginny and Hermione were quietly crying, and everyone looked a bit teary eyed.

"That's such a sad story." Ms. Weasley said sadly, and I just nodded, and to my surprise, Tom took up the story.

"By banishing Eliv's hate, he let me go, I was free. He had needed me to age faster, so when he left me, I actually got younger, I'm about 18. But he had been calling me as soon as Cecily stepped into the house, to stop her, so I was already in town when I was freed, and that's the only reason why I could find it."

"Wait, _you're_ Tom Riddle?" Dad choked. He tensed, but nodded. I threw a anxious glance at him.

"Eliv possessed you since you were a baby? How? And how do we know you aren't some evil scum?!" Moody growled, pulling his wand. _Not good!!!_


	60. Chapter 60

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty-

CECILY POV

I quickly stood in front of Tom. Everyone blinked at my speed. "Moody, let him finish, please." Dumbledore said calmly. Only when Moody put his wand away did I sit, and throw an apologetic glance at Tom.

"I went to the house and found Cecily unconscious, so I went to move her to a bed—" Sirius some sort of strangled noise and turned purple, and I glared at him, as did all the women in the room.

"—a-and the amulet fell out of her hand. When I picked it up after I got her upstairs, Eliv and Beatrice, who were inside, attached to me. Their love for each other keeps me immortal now." He said, and fished out the amulet from under his old-fashioned shirt, making everyone flip out.

"_That's_ it?!" Moody growled, analyzing it with his magical eye as everyone twittered nervously.

"When Beatrice cried through Cecily, it washed away the blood and the curse. I am no longer incarcerated, I assure you." Tom said calmly, and my heart jumped at his old-fashioned speech. Eliv had an obvious influence on him that was for sure.

"And he can prove it too. Does Eliv want to say anything?" I asked him, and he looked a little taken aback, as did everyone else.

"Sure," Tom said hastily, and closed his eyes before anyone could object. He grew rigid, like I did, and then Eliv's voice filled the room.

"I am Eliv Thane. Every word these two have said is true, in fact, they've been modest." Eliv's old English voice filled the room, making everyone freeze in surprise.

"And I am Beatrice, his wife." Hearing a woman's voice from Tom made me grin, and everyone looked floored. I barely resisted the urge to giggle at the feminine voice coming out of him.

"I don't believe it," Tonks said slowly, with the most fascinated look on her face.

"I will share memories through Tom, if you wish." Eliv said cautiously, making me laugh.

"Thank you, Eliv, but I think they believe us." I said, and he said his usual formal goodbye, and after a moment, Tom relaxed and opened his eyes, and the spirits continued their swirling in the Amulet. For a minute, no one spoke.

"But then what happened?" Mr. Weasley asked, so Tom continued, taking my hand. I avoided looking at my parents as he did so.

"I waited for Cecily to wake up, and changed out of those terrible robes." Tom said with a shudder. "When she did wake up, she insisted we leave as soon as possible. As we left town, the house started to age, and the town vanished into the mist. For the rest of the time I helped Cecily, and we walked until we saw the lights." Tom finished.

"I have a question, Tom. Why did you go back to the house, even though you weren't being called there anymore?" Dad asked, and I stiffened. The million dollar question…

"Well, Sir, I've loved your daughter for a very long time, and I wouldn't leave her there after I knew what had just happened." Tom said bravely, and I watched all of my male family members slowly turn red.

"Now, guys, let's not get upset…you already new this…" I said, stopping when they started to swell.

At first Dad just spluttered, and Harry and Sirius just kept swelling. Harry deflated, but Sirius kept going, which was not good. He had a wicked temper.

"Y-you w-wh-what what?" Dad choked out.

"I love your daughter, Sir. Very much. We basically grew up together, if you remember, Sir." Tom said hesitantly. I squeezed his hand reassuringly, and Hermione and Ginny squealed together.

"That is so _sweet!_" Hermione said, and Ron snorted disbelievingly, and his mother, plus Hermione and Ginny hit him. But it was good to know I had female support…

"As long as you take care of her, Tom. You two fit together, that much is true." Mum said, and I smiled softly at her as she smiled hugely at the two of us. Sirius kept swelling, and Dad just kind of sat there in disbelief.

"Dayum, that was a bombshell, Cecily!" Mundungus said loudly, making me laugh shakily, and the tension lessened a bit.

"Um, well, yes." Dad said awkwardly, and I got up and hugged him faster than he was used to, making him almost grunt in surprise when I easily lifted him off the ground and squeezed him tight.

"Thank you Daddy!" I said excitedly, and went to bounce back to Tom when Sirius stood up and left without speaking, glaring at me quickly over his shoulder. All of a sudden, my happiness and excitement left in a whoosh.

"Sirius, wait!" I called, and dashed out of the tent and easily caught up with him, even as tired as I was. "Sirius, he's—"

"He's a murderer and he's hurt you." Sirius said harshly.

"He had no control, he was _possessed!"_ I said angrily, matching his tone. He snorted.

"How do I know he won't hurt you now? He's responsible for your death, my death, your Mum and Dad's death, everyone is at risk with him here!"

"Don't you _dare_ pin that on him, Sirius. He half carried me the whole way here! He's as trustworthy as I am—"

"You compare yourself to _that?!_" Sirius roared. "That man doesn't love you, Cecily!"

"_He's loved me ever since he met me when I was two and he was three! He's been trapped his whole life and you treat him like—"_ I snarled, but he cut me off.

"HE BEAT YOU, HE STARVED YOU, THAT _THING_ HAS NO BUSINESS PLAYING GAMES WITH YOU!" Sirius bellowed. I stared at him angrily and a ringing silence suddenly invaded the space our shouting had been taking up. There was no noise form the tent and the mist swirled around him looking menacing.

"You've seen more than enough proof tonight that shows that he was the victim with me, and you're pointedly ignoring it." I said softly. "I love Tom just as much as he loves me, and you're going to have to live with that, whether you like it or not." I turned around and strode away, but his hands grabbing my shoulders stopped me, and he turned me around.

"Listen to me, _now._ Acting like a hero can win your heart, but that doesn't mean he's good for you!" Sirius hissed, tightening his grip as I opened my mouth to say something.

"Listen!" he snarled, and shook me, and I immediately used both hands and pushed him back, making him stumble backwards.

"Don't you dare touch me like that ever again." I whispered, successfully locking away my sadness and hurried away from him and ran right into Tom, who automatically held me up and steadied me.

"I'm sorry, Tom. He's just conceited, I swear." I whispered, and he gave me a hug. Halfway through, Sirius grabbed my shoulder and spun me around again. Halfway around, my anger and sadness broke free, and I punched him straight in the jaw.


	61. Chapter 61

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty One-

TOM POV (yay!)

Cecily looked murderous, her short hair dancing in the slight breeze as she stood with fists clenched. Nobody behind me said a word as Sirius got up again, looking even scarier than Cecily.

"What do you think you're playing at? What have you chosen over your family, over what's good for you?" Sirius barked in a laugh, massaging his jaw. I was surprised Cecily went easy on him, and that he wasn't' bleeding. Maybe she was more weakened then I thought…

"Tom is my family as much as he is yours now—" She started, but his loud laughter cut her off.

"_Tom_ will never be part of this family. His actions are unforgivable." Depression washed over me as he said that. That was my biggest fear, her family not forgiving me, even though I couldn't control it. My dislike for Sirius deepened.

Cecily was standing much to still to be natural. She was either really mad, or about to break down. "Oh, why you're at it, never say his name to me again. I can't believe you Cecily, I really can't." He said mockingly, standing like a drunkard, nursing his jaw. I took a step forward, but Cecily shook her head without turning around, so I stopped, to ashamed to do anything to defend my name.

"You know, Sirius, you two actually have a lot in common. You were trapped in that really crappy family of yours, and he was trapped in a really crappy life, you know?" Cecily said sweetly, but Sirius glowered at her.

"Don't compare me to that git, and don't you say one word more about my family." He hissed.

"All the pain, people trying to influence you to the Dark Magic…I think you two could really relate _Seerweus."_ She snarled. I could tell this was her ultimate punishment to him. Cecily wasn't normally so calm when she was angry.

Sirius stepped up to her so they were eye to eye. "Oh, and Sirius, speaking of names, _Tom _is a pretty good name—" His fist smashed right into her stomach, cutting her off as he went in for a punch to the head, which connected with a _crunch._

She whirled in midair and kicked him right in the hip, then punched him in the face, all in a matter of seconds. I quickly closed the distance and wrapped my arms around her, getting elbowed hard in the stomach, and then kicked in the side of my face for my trouble. I staggered with the force of her kick and felt Eliv and Beatrice's power realign my jaw.

"Oh _shoot_, Tom, I'm so sorry," Cecily gasped, throwing her arms around me as some of her angry family members went by to talk to Sirius. Angry mutterings were starting up as she slowly let go and hung her head.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, and tilted her head up. She laughed softly, with a bitter note to it.

"I've been barely back for an hour and already I've hurt two people that I love." She whispered, looking absolutely tortured. I gave her a deep hug, wrapping my arms all the way around her.

"You can beat me up as much as you want, I'll be with you forever. And Sirius hit you first." I finished angrily. She tensed as a full blown shout match started, and she buried her head into my chest. "And you do have some pretty amazing skills there, with the fighting and all." I said, and I felt her smile.

"_Look at them!_ How can you let them do that, what is wrong with you James?!!" Sirius roared, and she cringed. I glared at him and rubbed her back. Could he not tell that he was hurting her?

She suddenly turned, easily breaking my grip and marched up to him, new anger flashing in her eyes. Her family quickly scattered back a few feet as she stopped directly in front of him.

"Tom is what's best for me. He can care for me as long as I need to be taken care of. He will be my only company when you are gone again, and you reject him! Face it, Sirius, I'm not a normal person, and I need someone who understands me, and considering he watched me grow up and knows exactly what I mean, I think he's a good match, don't you think?" She said softly, dangerously.

"And wouldn't you think that considering I'm the one who went through all the pain that my decision would be the best, considering I have the first hand account?" She continued, and he raised his chin defiantly, but I could see a spark of pain in his eyes.

When he didn't answer, she walked away again, and pulled on my arm, leading me away from the silent groups of her family and friends to a private spot. I swung her easily around and held her close. She was shaking, but she wasn't crying yet.

"Cecily, I'll be here. Whenever you need me, I'm yours." I said firmly, holding her at arms length. Her gorgeous face was so twisted, it even hurt me.

"But how long will I be able to live without them? You are the most important to me now, I love you with all of my heart, but I love my family, my friends. They won't want to be brought back every time they die, Tom. But I can't do it alone." She quickly wiped a stray tear off her face, and I took her hand and kissed it.

"You can do it with me." I told her, and her face broke into a smile.

**I'm sorry it took me so long to update, and that the update is so short. My school just finished finals week today, and I haven't had time to write.**

**blakorchestrafreak**


	62. Chapter 62

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Two-

TOM POV

After a while, Sirius started to accept me. It was hard to realize he was doing it, I was constantly surrounded by Cecily's family and friends. And once Cecily had finished working like a mad-woman putting together evidence to clear my name and declare Voldemort finished, I was surrounded by journalists, angry protesters, even some assassinations were tried.

Fortunately, the Minister was willing to listen, and I ended up cleared of any wrongdoing. Of course, not everyone was convinced. But the man I had never been, Voldemort, was gone forever. I could barely understand the concept. I had always seen myself unfortunately, as being Voldemort instead of Tom Riddle. Now that he was gone, I could honestly do what I wanted. And that was being with Cecily.

After quite an awkward debate, I was allowed to stay with Cecily. Considering I had no possessions, this was not a stretch for space, but a stretch for privacy. Her parents were still unsure about the couples sharing a room aspect. Quite frankly, neither were Cecily and I. But we never really thought about it during the night, when I would hear her crying and pleading in her sleep. I would just climb in next to her, like her family would.

Usually, her father would peek his head in, see us, nod after a awkward moment, and leave. But Harry told me that she stopped crying faster when I was there, and for that, I was grateful. That meant he approved, even if he didn't show it.

One night, the whole family set out on a trip to Diagon Alley, accept Cecily and I. For once, there were no cautious comments about safety. It was nice to know they trusted the combined affects of two immortal teens home alone.

For awhile, we sat and talked on her bed about things she wasn't comfortable talking about with her parents. Things only I would know and remember. We helped each other through a lot. For a moment, we just curled up at the head of the bed, listening to each others hearts. Then, she leaned over and kissed me. That was not breaking any usual boundaries, but when she took off my shirt, we both paused.

"Tom, were adults, right?" Cecily said after a moment of pondering me.

"_I am._ You are still 17." I said playfully, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm more of an adult then most. We both know what we want, and we have privacy." She said firmly, stretching out on me until we were nose to nose.

"Where's the fire?" I muttered after I didn't say anything, so she started undoing my pants. Her fingers stopped for a moment, then kept going. I sat up and took her hands in mine, even though we both knew she was stronger.

"Cecily, I'm not saying no, I'm really not. You and I both know I love you. But why are you so anxious to do this?" I asked, and she studied our hands entwined before answering.

"I want to know that…consensual love exists." She whispered, and we both flinched hard, tensing. She hated the memories, I hated myself for not trying to do more to stop it. "And it wasn't your fault, Tom. The blame is really Eliv's, but he is already forgiven." She said quietly, watching our hands again. Eliv winced inside me.

I reached up and gently stroked her face, being minimalistic. Avery had tried to touch every part of her he could, and I did not want to bring back those memories any more harshly.

Suddenly, she tackled me, and started kissing my neck, all the way down my chest, and started undoing my pants again. In one of her too fast to be human moves, she neatly took them off, folded them, and threw them on the floor.

I reached up to touch her face, but she stopped me. She suddenly looked shy, almost embarrassed. "Tom, could I do it? I just need to know I'm in control." She said it almost too fast for me to hear. I stretched my arms behind my head and folded them, perfectly at ease as she regained her confidence, and took off her pants, then her shirt.

As she turned to put them on the floor, incredible self-anger slapped me in the face as I saw her back. The whole length, although lean and muscular, was ridden with scars. I bolted up and away. That was my fault, all of it. The scars, the pain that went with them. All my fault.

"Tom?" She asked quietly, and wrapped her arms cautiously around me. "What's wrong?" I just shook my head, glaring angrily out the window. She shouldn't have been afraid before, that was my fault too. All the reasons why she was broken lead back to me, and that was wrong.

She walked around in front of me, and on tiptoe, looked right into my face, looking worried. My face instantly soften at the sight of her, her face was to beautiful to be real. How could I have let such a beautiful person, inside and out, be hurt so badly?

"What Tom?" She asked, a little more demanding this time, and gave me a hug. I stroked her back, and felt my face twist in anger, gently feeling the scars, already healed over.

"It's my fault. You shouldn't have to carry those scars, that pain, but you do. That's what is wrong." I said harshly, and buried my face in her hair. It's shortness was another reminder of what I had done. What I had let happen.

"Tom, you were as trapped as I was. Just because you were an observer, doesn't mean you could do anything. How do you think Harry felt all of his fifth year? He knew I was being hurt, but he couldn't do anything about it." She said, easily pushing me back to the edge of the bed, and sat fully in my lap.

Then, she kissed me, and we slowly fell back down. She picked me up, moved me vertical, and continued down my chest. I gave her absolute control. She had to be comfortable with this again. She stopped at my boxers. **(That's right, Tom Riddle wears boxers.)**

"May I?" She asked, suddenly uncertain.

"You're in charge, Cecily. I'm pretty much at your mercy, considering you're stronger, faster and smarter. And you can kick my ass." I added as an afterthought. She still looked unsure.

I reached over to the nightstand, picked up my wand and threw it clean across the room. It clattered over the table, and rolled under the door. Then I brought both hands in front of her.

"Directions, please." I said calmly. She slowly smiled, then put both of my hands on her still too skinny waist. Then she pushed them down, pushing off her underwear. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then still frowned.

"I just still need to know you can't…get your wand. I know it's ridiculous, I know I could throw you out the window before you could get there…but-"

My laughter cut her off. "Cecily, I could care less what you have to do to be in control. Considering you have the advantage already, go for it." I said, and she grimaced.

"It's terribly like déjà vu. Its even pretty, well, kinky." She frowned. I sat up slowly, until we were eye to eye.

"Cecily Potter. I am asking your permission to tie me up and make love to me, if that's what you need." I said, and she muttered something along the lines of 'too good for me', and looked around the room.

"Damn it, what am I going to use?" She murmured, glancing around the room.

"Permission to conjure scarves?" I suggested. She shook her head.

"As mean and egotistical as it sounds, I could easily get out of that, even human, so I think you could too."

"Thanks for the super vote of confidence on the strength field. Permission to conjure…rope?" I said finally. She nodded, flushing. I got up, made the rope clear down the hall, and then came back inside her room. She was pacing, and lifted both hands, holding nothing but the rope. I had left my wand downstairs.

"Ok, well, um…" She flushed a deeper scarlet as I stood there, waiting for her to decide.

"Cecily, just take control. You can't hurt me…much, I can't die…I really can't even fight back." I said, handing it to her, and lying back down, crossing my arms back behind my head, leaning my head against the pillared headboard. She glanced at it, then grinned, confidence returning.

"I love you, Tom Riddle." She said firmly, sitting on top of me and unwinding the neat coil of rope. "But may I have your hands please?" I smirked, and handed them to her.

A minute and a coil of rope later, my hands were tied firmly to the headboard. Cecily looked nervous as she worriedly stroked my stomach. "Are you sure you're comfortable? I mean, I can deal with it…we shouldn't." She got up and grabbed her shirt.

I groaned. "Cecily, I can't really get up and stop you, but I would love it if you would at least kiss me. All this waiting is more exhausting than anything. Besides, were you comfortable? Since we both know you weren't, I shouldn't be either. It's only fair."

"That wasn't your fault though." She said, pacing, T-shirt in hand. I threw her a look and she sighed.

"I'm just torn, Tom." She looked so sad, I went to get up and give her a hug and smacked my forehead on the headboard.

"OW-" I groaned, rubbing my forehead with my forearm, wincing. I didn't even see her move, but she was suddenly sitting on me again, rubbing the angry red mark, giving it a kiss.

Then she trailed them down my jaw to my throat. "Better, that's nice." I sighed, pain quickly forgotten.

"You're heart is fast." She noted, listening. Her entire body was relaxed, laying on mine, while mine was completely tense. I couldn't relax, or bring my arms down. But if that's the way she wanted it, I was going to give it to her that way.

She quickly sat up, and thrust faster than I could even see, making my teeth clench. She did it again, and moaned. "That's so good," she breathed, and did it a few more times, faster than any human could.

"Tom, are you alright?" She asked, leaning forward. "You look like you're in pain."

"I'm fine," I said quickly, shaking my head. She frowned.

"You're lying, what's wrong?" She said firmly, taking my head in her hands, so I couldn't look away.

"It's too fast." I said finally, after her eyes bored into mine for a few minutes. "It's great, but its so fast, it hurts." She gently and slowly thrusted, and there was no pain this time. It made me relax as much as I could, and I closed my eyes and smiled simultaneously.

"You're amazing." I breathed by her neck as she kissed my trapped hands, my wrists, and then my nose. I didn't open my eyes as she kissed my elbows, and then went back up my arms. With a little stretching, I gave her a gentle hickey, the only work I had done this whole time, but the affect on her was incredible.

She melted like butter, until I could feel her breath on my face. "Open your eyes, Tom." She said softly, and there was no resisting. Her perfect face was about a inch from mine, watching me.

"I can't thank you enough, Tom. I'm not afraid anymore. I'm in control. But…I want to give you more control, but I need to know you will stop when I need you to." She said cautiously, stroking my face.

"Only do what you feel is right. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it." I vowed, and shifted a little. She slowly sat up, and felt the intricate and unyielding rope and knots that kept my hands away from her.

I held perfectly still, even when she trembled. Her fingers would undo the first, knot, then retie it again. I didn't dare say anything, do anything but hold still. Her tears hit my neck, but I still didn't get up. I knew she was strong enough. After a minute, she quickly ripped clean through the rope and threw it across the room.

She looked scared as she turned back. I hadn't moved an inch, even when the rope was gone. Looking determined, she took my hands in her shaking ones and moved them over her shoulders.

"Hold on to me." She said quietly, but authoritatively. I held on just enough to keep my hands and arms from falling off. "Tighter." She said, so I gently squeezed her shoulders. "_Tighter._" She said almost angrily, eyes closed, so I firmly grasped her shoulders.

In a blink, my hands were suddenly restrained again, tighter this time, and she was hugging my torso like a life raft, silently crying. A slap across my face was stinging. For a moment, I said nothing, let her tighten her grip until my ribs protested. I was determined not to say anything until she was done crying, but as she squeezed tighter, my ribs felt like they were on fire.

"Ah," I hissed, and she froze. She slowly looked up and blinked, as if she forgot I was there. Then the tears came faster and she just hugged me tighter. I felt a rib snap, and I groaned.

"Cecily, I know you hate yourself for hurting me, but if you don't let go-" I hissed and arched my back as another rib snapped. She had tightened her grip when I hit her fear dead on the head. I closed my eyes as another snapped.

Her hands went from suffocating, to fluttering all over my torso, frantic. "Tom, _Tom!"_ She whispered, suddenly stroking my sore face from her slap. "What hurts, what hurts?" She said almost too quickly, her hands dancing all over my torso.

"Ribs." I groaned, and she leapt off of my torso, vanishing. I opened my eyes to see her dropping my wand and punching her dresser in frustration as it burned her hand. Her dresser crunched inward easily. When Cecily was mad, she was stronger than Hagrid.

"Cecily, come here…leave…the wand." I breathed, closing my eyes again. She knelt, stroking my face.

"Open your eyes, please." She begged almost silently, so I did. "I'm a monster, Tom. You do everything you can to make it better for me, and I end up hurting you, like everyone else." I shook my head angrily, ignoring the quick flash of pain.

"If Harry ever tried making sex easier for him, I'm going to be jealous." I muttered, and she made a face. "And I can heal my own ribs, if I can be set free, here." I said, and twisted my hands; which was difficult, she had tied them so tight and secure.

She punched the bed, and it dipped, making me groan as my body tipped, my cracked ribs poking me. "I can't, I can't. You, using a wand, and me…" she struggled to explain, crying still.

"Cecily…you don't want your Dad to have to do it, considering you and I are still naked. Get dressed, get back in control, then untie my damn hands." I said through gritted teeth. Her mouth opened in a little 'o', then she in a blink of an eye she was dressed, putting up her hair in the broken mirror.

Then she paused. "I have to pick it up, you can't get up with a broken rib." She said, staring at it.

"_Ribs._" I said shakily, and she looked up sharply. In an instant, she had scooped it up and placed it in my hand, then she started on the knots, cursing angrily when she couldn't undo one, finally ripping through it again, then she backed off, and stood flat against the window as I slowly moved my arms downward.

With a quiet glow, my ribs healed, and I sat up, placed my wand on the bed, and put my pants back on. Then I got up and seized her in a hug that made her gasp in shock, and tense up.

"That's good, you didn't hit me that time," I chuckled, kissing the top of her head.


	63. Chapter 63

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Three-

CECILY POV

When the family came home, Tom was leaning against the kitchen counter talking to me as I made tea. Both of us were showered and dressed, and trying to act calm. I could just see the situation…

"_So honey, what did you guys do when we were gone?" Mum would ask._

"_Nothing, just some kinky sex and I broke a few of Tom's ribs in the process. Other than that, we were pretty mellow."_

I snapped back to reality and added the tea leaves as Tom got some cups from the cupboard manually. He had put his wand in his waistband and left it there.

"How was Diagon Alley?" he asked Mum nonchalantly, and I couldn't help how good he was at acting. She looked up, smiling, but gasped suddenly, still watching Tom.

"Tom, what happened to your face?" She asked, standing up from the table, coming over. I glanced and saw that my slap from earlier was harder than I thought, and his face was starting to bruise.

He shrugged, not looking at me. "Cecily and I spent some time outside on the brooms. I just did something stupid and fell off." He leaned against the counter.

"It looks painful…" said Mum, looking at Tom…like he was her son. The thought made me smile. She gently touched the growing and blackening bruise, and Tom shifted a little, but made no other reaction.

"What's painful?" Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's somehow packed into the kitchen.

"Tom fell off his broom while you guys were gone, hit his face on the house." I said, playing along, pouring Tom a cup of tea. He thanked me quietly, and took the cup.

"That's a hell of a bruise." Dad said, coming over too.

"It doesn't even hurt anymore." Tom said, looking uncomfortable as the family started crowding around for a look.

"Who wants tea?" I asked after a moment, and the family turned away. I poured all the cups as Mrs. Weasley came over.

"That's quite a impressive hickey on your neck, dear." She said, taking a casual sip of tea. I hastily rearranged my collar, flushing, avoiding her gaze. She laughed to herself, and patted me on the back before joining the elongated table.

Tom came over and put his long arms around my waist and put his head on my shoulder, watching me cook. "It is a great hickey, I have to say." He said, kissing my earlobe gently. I grinned, stirring the meat I was browning. I was the only one in the Weasley's and the Potters who cooked without a wand.

"I still can't thank you enough." I murmured, leaning into him as I stirred lazily. "Anyone else wouldn't have even thought of taking me seriously." I said quietly, a strong sense of affection washing over me.

"You don't have to thank me for that. I enjoyed myself." Tom murmured into my neck, sounding like a cat purring at the same time.

"I broke your ribs." I hissed, turning easily in his embrace to glare at him. He shrugged.

"But that was a reaction to your memories, not to…what we were doing." He said, kissing my jaw, and going to turn away, but I easily caught his waist and physically picked him up and brought him back.

"I slapped you." I reminded him, touching his bruised cheek. He closed his eyes at my touch.

"Another reaction. You thought I was Avery." He said quietly. "I wouldn't love you any other way." He continued.

"The meat Cecily, not your man." Mum said firmly as she passed, making me jump. All the girls giggled and the guys sniggered.

I turned my attention reluctantly back to the meat. Tom stayed, and we had a quiet conversation about my memories.

"Would you be willing to try again?" Tom said sexily in my left ear.

"I quote: Where's the fire?" I smirked. Tom growled lightly and rubbed my back, especially my shoulders. His grip got tighter and tighter, but since I was fully dressed, I was not afraid. Also, the time we had alone (when I wasn't scared or hurting him) had been fantastic.

"Herm herm." Harry said, going by. I turned and grinned wolfishly at him, and he grinned back. I knew how connected he was with Ginny.

"I like your neck decoration." He said sarcastically, jerking his head to my neck, leaning against the table. Ginny grinned in my general direction, seated next to him.

Tom pulled his wand and gave it a flick, and Harry's shirt flicked up just in time for me to see hickey's bigger than mine around his belly button. I muffled my laughter into Tom's shoulder, peeking under his arm to see Harry red in the face.

"Harry, are you choking?" Fred said from across the table. I laughed harder, and I could feel Tom's chest vibrating with his laughter.

"He's fine. He's just been put in his place." I sniggered, ducking behind Tom at Harry's mock glare. Fred snorted and turned around again to talk to George.

"Ok, I think we can all agree and keep quiet about…the marks." Ginny said, taking Harry's hand.

"Agreed-" I started to say, but a loud _bang_ from outside stopped my words.

"Oh little girly!!" Bellatrix's voice rang out from above the house, and everyone froze in their chairs. My grip got so tight on the wooden spoon, I snapped it in half.

"There are barriers around the house, we're safe. _Nobody_ goes outside." Dad said in a strained voice after a minute.

"Someone needs to contact the Order and Dumbledore." Mr. Weasley said in a hushed voice, wand drawn.

"Little itty bitty toady!! Come out and play…" Bellatrix hooted, and with a quick glance out the window, I could see dark shapes of Death Eaters outside the boundary.

"Is there anyway it can break? Anyway at all?" I hissed, hands turning to fists.

"Dumbledore cast it, I doubt it." Harry breathed, watching the ceiling with a unreadable expression.

"Where is Voldemort, girly?" Bellatrix shouted, and another loud bang came from outside. "What have you done to our master? No Dark Wizard can forget his roots!" Tom looked ugly, his hands on my shirt turning to fierce fists.

"Don't say anything, Tom, she's saying that on purpose. You never were a Dark Wizard, and you never will be." I said angrily, seizing him in a hug that made him gasp and his jaw clench.

"Cecily, he has to be able to breathe." Mum hissed, and I loosened my hold, Tom's face was a mask.

"Don't make us use force! Bring him outside, and we won't kill you as harshly." Bellatrix giggled.

"Dumbledore and the Order have been contacted, as well as Aurors from the Ministry." Sirius said hoarsely, glaring at the ceiling with hate etched in every line of his face.

_BOOM_

The ceiling shook terribly, and the house groaned. If anybody didn't have their wand out before, they pulled them out, standing up quickly.

I held on to Tom, afraid he was going to bolt outside. He was shaking with anger. He looked angrier than Sirius, which was a first for everyone.

_BOOM_

"Don't make me break up the love birds!" Bellatrix shouted, all traces of joking gone. I beat Tom to the door, both of us going at the same time, I pulled it open so hard, it embedded into the wall. Anger was making my vision super focus, my body tense. Pure rage was running through my veins, and Tom didn't look much better.

We both glared at each other for a moment, in the doorway, and then he took my hand and we sprinted into the yard. His wand was drawn, my ring was ready to fire.

"Bellatrix, if you lay one finger on him, I'll blow you're head off." I snarled, and even Tom looked surprised at the level of my anger.

Bellatrix was on a broom above the shield, a wicked smile on her face. "The little toad is angry!" She giggled, and fired another spell at the same spot she had been hitting, and it groaned.

"Cecily, Tom, get back in here _now._" Dad bellowed from the doorway.

"Oh, Baby Potters father is a little edgy today." Bellatrix cooed.

"Don't talk about him like that, you filthy murderer." Tom snarled, wand almost trembling with the spells he wasn't casting. Tom knew more dark magic than Bellatrix did, but I knew he would never use it.

"Oh and look, the man I once admired." Bellatrix snapped, suddenly looking very, very angry. I had never seen such a clear emotion on her face before besides insanity.

"You stupid bitch-" I hissed, swelling, but Tom put his arm around me and stopped me cold.

"Bellatrix, you must be blind as well as ugly, to think of admiring me. But thank you anyway." Tom said, and kissed my cheek. Bellatrix actually looked hurt for a second. Then she brought her wand up and a huge black mark came out, and hit the shield with a crack.

After a second, it shattered.


	64. Chapter 64

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Four-

TOM POV

Instantly, Cecily threw herself in front of me, pushing us back towards the door. Her hands were a blur, but each spell Bellatrix and other masked Death Eaters fired were blocked, and her ring was firing bolts that instead of a light blue, were a dark, dark blue.

I Stunned as many Death Eaters as I could from behind Cecily, but it was tough work. They were circling the house, and everyone inside had to block each of the spells that went raging through.

A few yards away, wizards were Apparating and running over, wands raised. I recognized people from the Order as a Death Eater suddenly created a huge torrent of fire, extremely dark magic right at them.

"_Iuguolois!" _I barked, pointing my wand over Cecily's head. I never thought I would have to use this spell again…** (Iuguolois is Latin for kill it)**

It hit the flames and with a eerie clashing sound, it suddenly vanished, leaving no trace. Bellatrix glared at me, and jerked her head to the Death Eaters. Suddenly, all of them were in a line, back to back, some fighting the Aurors, and some fighting Cecily and I. Cecily was blurred, obviously inhuman, as she blocked them all with frightening precision.

Suddenly, she yelled and grabbed her head. Someone had thrown a rock, and it had hit her in the temple. Blood was streaking down her face, and the sight of it, scarlet against her pale face was too much to bear.

"_attero suum animus!"_ I roared, standing in front of her. Instantly, a black pulse of light radiated from my wand in a harsh burst, and raced across the sky, and hit the Death Eaters. I didn't watch to see them fall off their brooms, instantly dead. Instead, I whirled around and dropped to Cecily's height.

I knew she could heal her own wounds, but she could still die. It was a miracle she wasn't unconscious yet. I gently held her up and examined the wound as she breathed shallowly in my lap. Blood was streaked down the side of her face and was soaking into her high collared shirt.

"Cecily." I tried to say it calmly, but my voice still shook. She groaned and cracked an eye open, and sighed and closed it again when she saw my face.

"Tom," she breathed, starting to smile.

"Can you heal it?" I asked, ripping my sleeve off and dabbing at the large, deep gash. She tensed and like magic, her pale white skin shivered, and then closed the gash seamlessly. I continued wiping blood from her face, waiting for her to recuperate. I ignored any noise but her breathing. Nothing else was important.

After a minute, she smiled brilliantly at me and stood up faster than I could, and pulled me up too. She kissed me and I gently stopped her from making out with me. "Cecily, not here, later." I said firmly, and she smiled mischievously.

"I could make you now though." She said fingering my shirt collar. I pulled back as best as I could in her iron embrace.

"Cecily, I just murdered all of the Death Eaters about two minutes ago, and now you want sex?" I asked. I was now officially a murderer. I had never killed anyone in my life, not willingly, and even though they had hurt Cecily, I felt sick.

"Wait, _what?"_ She said, looking around my shoulder. Aurors were identifying and moving Death Eater bodies. I felt sicker as I watched them move one, totally limp, dead instantly like my terrible spell, which I learned from Eliv's hate, had caused.

"Tom, you're so pale. Are you alright?" Cecily said worriedly, suddenly appearing in front of my face. She was misted, hazy, and the blood on her face was starting to dry. I ducked out of her hold, made it to the bushes, and retched. I hated dark magic, and the people I had killed with it, and yet, I still had used it, when I was angry, like Voldemort would. I was a monster.

"Tom!" Cecily called, making it over instantly as I wiped my mouth on my sleeve, turning slowly. "Oh god Tom, did a spell hit you? You're so, so _pale_…sit…" She easily picked me up and sat me down, then laid me down. I closed my eyes as my head spun.

"Is he alright? Are _you _alright, what happened to you face…!!" I heard Cecily's Dad say, skidding to a stop by my head.

"I'm alright, it was just a rock, but Tom…" She hesitated and I felt her tiny hand squeeze mine.

"Was he hit by a spell?" he said sharply, and I heard him kneel.

"I don't know, he mentioned killing the Death Eaters, and then he was sick." Cecily said in a forced calm, stroking my hand.

"I killed _all _of them…with dark magic." I whispered, my head still ringing. I didn't feel evil, not as bad as I had felt as Voldemort, but this was a grisly, disgusting murder. I heard her father tense.

"I'm a _murderer._" I groaned. Yes, I had killed evil, dark, murderous people, but I had used dark magic, and I had given them no chance. Yes I had wanted them all to die, but not so…cruelly.

"Tom…it had to be done." I heard Dumbledore suddenly say on the other side of my head. "They would have killed and hurt many more people before someone else would have been strong enough to dispatch them."

"That was the darkest spell I knew. And I just reacted out of anger." I whispered again. I would never forgive myself for using such dark magic, for being like the Death Eaters.

"What spell did you use?" Dumbledore asked patiently.

"It wasn't a spell…not really. _attero suum animus." _I said almost silently, cringing. I heard Dumbledore inhale sharply.

"What was that?" Cecily's father said just as sharply.

"You must have been incredibly angry and protective of her to cast feeling and not a spell." Dumbledore said calmly.

"I was, and it was foolish to react that way. I just couldn't see her bleeding anymore." I whispered again. Thinking and analyzing it was making me feel like puking again.

"_What was that?"_ Cecily's father said, sounding almost afraid.

"I cast emotion as a spell instead of an actual in existence spell. It's the darkest kind of magic I was exposed to, and I was idiotic enough to use it. You can use the oldest language, Latin, and use it to channel magic with your emotion to do as you want it to." I said, sitting up and being grabbed in a fierce hug by Cecily.

"But what did you do, to kill so many at once?" James asked, looking flushed, but unharmed.

"I said 'kill their souls'. It killed anything in its path that I was angry at." I said tonelessly. He stared at me for a moment, open mouthed. Cecily easily sat me upright, steadied me, then took both my hands and spoke quickly, but quietly.

"Tom, you saved lives today, and into the future. Your reflex was that, a reflex. You knew that we would have killed them eventually. These people had no business living anymore." She said softly, squeezing my hands. Then she hugged me, not tightly, but a simple, hug. I hesitated, but returned it. When we let go, she was still frowning.

"Your still so pale." She said, tracing my jaw, looking worried. I smiled, but even I could tell there was no warmth in it.


	65. Chapter 65

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Five-

CECILY POV

Everyone was glancing at Tom, not really wanting to full out stare. He was as pale as me, the deathly, white shade that I had come to recognize on my face, not his. His face always had life and warmth.

"Mum, Dad, Tom and I are going away for a bit. We'll be back before noon tomorrow. Both of us are armed, and most of our enemies are dead. Love you," I said quickly, grabbed Tom's arm, and pulled him away from everyone.

After a few minutes of walking, I pulled him aside into the woods. I had basically sprinted at my in-human speed and carried Tom. He didn't seem to mind; he was still slightly shell-shocked.

After a minute of running dangerously through the woods, I stopped by a large spruce and sat down, taking Tom with me. For the next hour, I just sat with Tom. I let him think without anyone speaking to him. Finally, he shifted underneath me and moaned quietly in frustration.

"I love you, Tom Riddle." I said, before he could say anything more. "I love you more than you probably know." I admitted, leaning back, keeping him from getting up.

"I love you too, Cecily. I don't wish that I hadn't reacted to whoever hit you, but…I wish I hadn't been so cruel." He said slowly, as if he wanted to make sure it was right. I rolled over and stared him dead in the eye for a minute.

Then I started kissing his jaw, his neck, his throat. I knew that this would take his mind off of it, and it would be good practice for both of us. I had been so close the last time to maintaining control, but when I had him grab my shoulders…it had been so…degrading, even though he hadn't been causing me the pain.

After 10 minutes, it was our usual charade. I was fighting things he couldn't see, and the poor man who loved me was tied to a tree. The security knowing that he was safe, and I was slowly killing my demons was my fuel. He waited patiently as I paced around our clearing, naked, trying to master the face of Avery, who I knew was dead.

"He's dead," I said out loud, to make it true. "He is dead, thanks to you." I came back over to Tom, who winced at my last comment. I kissed away the worry lines on his forehead. For a moment, I just lay perfectly still, pressed against him. Tom kissed my neck, started a new hickey, but couldn't do much else.

"Ok, one step at a time." I said out loud, then untied his feet. His toes rubbed the back of my leg as I kissed his shoulders, the source of my fear. I started laughing, making him pull back, to look at me.

"This is incredibly kinky, yet so messed up at the same time." I giggled, rubbing his shoulders briskly. He shrugged, moving my hands.

"Some day I'll return the favor." He said, going back to kissing my neck. I snorted. "You're right, I really wouldn't." He amended, chuckling as he kissed my collarbone. But he had given me an idea. I jumped off him and let him go. Then I retied one end of a rope firmly around one of his wrists, then held my wrist out to him.

"You want to tie yourself…to me." Tom said, raising an eyebrow, looking unconvinced. I nodded, smiling. If we were both semi controlled, maybe it wouldn't be as bad…He searched my face for a moment, then carefully and slowly tied my wrist to his. "You know this won't work, you'll just break it." He said, curling his fingers around mine.

I frowned. Shit. I hadn't planned on my freakish nature getting in the way. "We can try." I said firmly, and we awkwardly lay down onto the grass. It was getting dark, but the coolness didn't bother me, and Tom didn't seem to mind.

Tom gently held my shoulder the whole time. The rope broke, but I didn't stop. I had to push away his sneering, disgusting face.—His hands were on my shoulders, kissing my throat—

I brought my arms around and down, smashing into Avery's arms. With a choking noise, he instantly let go, and I was suddenly in reality. Tom was on his back, his jaw locked, eyes closed.

"Oh god no, what did I do this time?" I swore loudly, getting off of Tom and kneeling by his head. He took a deep breath before answering.

"I think you broke my arms, I'm almost sure of it." He said tensely. I wrapped his wand in his shirt and managed to get it in his hand. Tom yelled as he had to move each arm to heal the other. I cried on him the whole time, and then he was giving me a hug, a hug I didn't deserve.

"Punish me, Tom. That's twice now." I said into his shoulder. He tensed.

"You know I can't do that, don't ask me to." He said evenly, but I could tell he was upset that I asked.

"Tom. Punish. Me. I lasted as long as I did because I learned quickly after each mistake. We tried the nice way. I can't hurt you anymore." I said, making him look me in the eye. He closed his eyes, standing stock still.

"I hope you can forgive me." He said, and leaned over and took his wand. The irrational fear came back, and I smacked it out of his hand and punched him in the face, in the same spot as yesterday.

But Tom didn't stop this time. He snatched it up and said something I couldn't hear. I was suddenly against the tree, like a statue. I trembled as Tom felt his face, dropping his wand and spitting out blood.

Then, he slowly, walked over, looking me dead in the eye. I clenched my jaw as he started by placing his hands on my shoulders. Avery laughed in my ear, pushed harder each time, grasping my shoulders tighter and tighter…

The spell didn't give. Tom stayed where he was, until I thought I was going to go crazy, shaking with displaced fear. I _wanted_ this. "Do it Tom." I snarled, simultaneously fighting his spell but to no avail.

He moved his hands up my neck, to linger carefully on my face. That was almost becoming his trademark, his favorite spot you could say. His fingers traced the still gaunter sections of my face as I whimpered in fear. He moved back down to my shoulders and I started to cry.

Instantly, I was free, and Tom was leaning against a tree a few feet away, forehead on his forearm. He was shaking too. "Never again, Cecily. I won't do it." He said through gritted teeth.

I slowly slid down the tree and leaned my head back. "You have to, Tom. You aren't hurting me physically. Now let me see your jaw." I said, coming over and turning him around. The spot had turned a black color, right across his cheekbone. As my finger went over it, I could feel a break in the bone.

To my surprise, it suddenly healed under my touch, and the bruise vanished. Tom reached up a hand, felt the now not tender spot on his face. "You healed me." He said, grinning. "Now I don't even have to bring my wand." I frowned, and dropped my hand.

"I can't do it that way anymore. It's creepy and it hurts you. I've broken your ribs, your arms and your face now." I said firmly.

"I can't let you see those memories anymore, especially because they were my fault." Tom said stubbornly, leaning against his tree, crossing his arms. We glared at each other.

"Then we won't do it at all." I said. Tom frowned.

"We can't just _stop_, I mean this is good for you, and well, I am a man." He said, starting to flush.

"Oh yes we can. Just watch." I said, and grabbed my clothes, putting them on. Tom muttered something I couldn't hear and dressed.


	66. Chapter 66

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Six-

CECILY POV

We came back home after a quiet walk home in the moonlight. Everyone acted like nothing had happened, and Tom seemed much happier, although he was incredibly jumpy.

That day, I played ref as the Harry, Dad, Sirius and Tom played against Fred, George, Ron and Ginny in a short but ferocious Quidditch match. In the end, Team Weasley won because Harry didn't want to shove Ginny out of the way for the snitch.

"You are whipped." I told him as he landed, motioning him over. He opened his mouth to say something, but I placed my fingertips on the cut on his head and healed it.

"When did that happen?" He said finally, fingering his forehead as I motioned everyone else over. It had been such a brutal game, almost everyone had some sort of scratch, bruise or injury.

"Yesterday. I healed Tom's face on accident, and I can suddenly do it now." I said as I healed a scratch down Dad's leg, then a lump on the back of Ron's head. Tom nodded as I healed his bruised ribs after being kicked off his broom by Sirius, who had earned an impressive glare and a penalty from me.

"It's certainly helpful." Fred said, stretching, then smacking George in the back of the head. George punched him in arm, and soon, they were wrestling on the grass, laughing.

"Apparently." I said, healing a broken knuckle on Sirius's left hand. "And can you guys take it easy next time? You don't have to kill each other for a stupid little ball." I said, and I got stares from all the guys.

"She did not just say that." George said, from his position in Fred's headlock.

"She did, now the world is going to end." Ginny said, rolling her eyes as I healed her only injury, a bruise on her calf. The boys had learned to late that not hitting Ginny would not make you immune from Ginny herself.

"That's the whole _point._" George said, kicking Fred away from him, and then cracking his neck from the headlock.

"Come here," I said, slightly annoyed, and healed the long bruise on the back of his neck.

"You're never going to be able to keep up with all of them." Dad said, colleting the balls. I had been surprised he had played today, but then again, he had been a great player as a kid.

"I'm faster than anyone alive…I think I can keep up." I said, picking up brooms. "Besides, _someone_ has to do it." He looked at me, but I ignored it and passed some of the brooms to Tom.

"Hey! Come inside!" I heard Mrs. Weasley yell out the backdoor. I walked back, hand in hand with Tom, and surprisingly, we were the last ones in. Mum looked excited, and Mrs. Weasley looked beside herself.

"What's going on here?" Dad asked warily, sitting at the table. I had known Mrs. Weasley long enough to know that she could plan surprisingly painful gifts and experiences. She really couldn't help it.

"We're all going to London. Just for the day, and to stop at the Order. I thought it would be great to go as a family! What do you guys think?" I glanced at Tom, who shrugged. Personally, I didn't want to go. I had got a strangely protective feeling, and a slight sense of paranoia. I felt someone would get hurt if we went.

Before I could object, Mrs. Weasley grinned, and Mum did too. "Excellent. Looks like were going, just for fun!" She swept out of the house with Mum, leaving everyone to follow. "You know, Muggles call this 'getting away'…" I heard Mum say faintly.

"Why so excited?" I heard Fred mutter to George. "Maybe it's because we aren't afraid of some psycho person hurting one of us now." George said sarcastically and smacked Fred. We all trooped outside into the backyard. I Apparated with Tom, holding his arm as tightly as I dared.

After we all Apparated into an alley, we stepped into the streets of London. We quickly went into the more magical part of town, and I found I was enjoying myself. I had never been to Grimmlaud Place, and I was excited to go there.

"Oh…wow." I said, watching the building appear from the ones next to it. Tom let go of my arm and nodded to me, indicating I should go on. I noticed Harry was waiting for him a few feet away, and my eyes narrowed.

"Tom," I started, but he shook his head, putting a finger on my lips. I looked straight into his eyes for only a second.

""We'll just be a moment." He said, sounding more old-English than ever, and he gently pushed me in the direction of the door. I glanced at them one last time, but stepped inside. I found I couldn't enjoy the gathering of the friends and the beauty of the house. Why would Tom want to talk to Harry alone?

I still had the unshakeable feeling that something bad was going to happen. My life felt too perfect, and I knew I was probably just paranoid, but I couldn't help but fear something… Trying to get rid of my irrational dread, I glanced at a tapestry, letting everyone else file into the Dining Room. I traced the threads without seeing them.

The last time I felt like this, it was predicting the death of chess pieces, but my family and friends were not chess pieces. I couldn't replace them forever.

"Cecily, you look much too tense, come on!" Hermione called from the Dining Room. Everyone was drinking butter beer, firewhisky and other adult drinks. Mundungus looked to be passed out on the floor. I smiled half-heartedly and started over, when a huge explosion sent me sprawling down the steps from where I had come. I hit the first landing with a _whoosh._

"What the hell was that?" Dad said, shakily from in the Dining Room. I was already flying down the rest of the stairs. My fears were becoming confirmed…

I flung open the door and immediately brought my hands up as a huge cloud of ash and rubble engulfed me, making me cough. I felt my way down the steps, swiping the dust away, and stepped on something round and small, making me fall forward. I landed hard on my stomach, and lifted my head. Harry's wand was lying a few feet away. My stomach clenched as I stretched my hand out and picked it up, gritting my teeth as it heated up in my hand.

I gasped and only let it go when I couldn't stand the pain anymore, a long thin and deep line cut into my palm. I heard laughter, and looked up and couldn't believe my eyes. Bellatrix was sitting on a broom, side saddle, and in her lap, wand at his throat, was Harry.

I picked up Harry's wand again, and pointed at her, and felt blood start to slide down my wrist from the burn. "Drop him." I said coolly enough, but my insides had exploded with fear. Where was Tom; and _why_ was Bellatrix alive??


	67. Chapter 67

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Seven-

CECILY POV

I ducked as she fired a quick bolt of fire out of her wand, and the steps exploded behind me, and I heard quite a few yells from inside. I quickly turned, and saw the whole door was covered in rubble. I whirled back around at Harry's quiet gasp of pain. Bellatrix slapped his face a little, to get my attention.

"_Accio Harry."_ I breathed, wiling his wand to work. Instead, it heated to a blinding white, making me cry out and drop it, a large diamond shaped burn on my palm.

"Don't worry, girly. I'll take good care of him." Bellatrix said, stroking his hair. Harry's jaw clenched.

"Come down here Bellatrix, fight me like a _real_ witch." I said out of desperation. I couldn't lose Harry, not to her. She stopped stroking Harry's hair. When she opened her mouth to answer, I whirled, grabbed a rock, and threw it as hard as I could at her head.

She deflected it easily, giving me a shock. I threw that faster than she should have been able to see… She started laughing, the broom starting to rise. "You come to me, girly. Your beau has the answer, if you can find him. But don't take to long…" She said, smiling down at me, moving her wand away from Harry's throat and pointing it at me.

"I'll kill you, I swear." I gasped quickly, reaching for another rock when I heard Harry shout, and there was another explosion. I was blasted into the air, straight up. With a quick flip, I hit the house instead of the ground, and started to slide down the roughly shingled roof. I heard Harry shout something again as it tore my shirt and into my skin.

As I fell over the gutter, I seized onto a miniature gothic pillar and glared at Bellatrix, raising my left hand, but she tapped the hollow of Harry's throat with her wand, smiling. I glanced at Harry, and regretted it. He didn't look afraid, but I could see desperation equal to mine in his eyes. "Look down, and don't forget to hurry." She said, and pointed with her wand, and I heard a groan from below.

Tom was trapped under some rubble, I could see his hair and his legs. I knew he couldn't die, but when I looked up, Bellatrix, and Harry, were gone. I let go, and slid down the roof, into the shrubbery, and ignoring any new injury, skidded to a stop by the rubble. I could hear people inside working on blasting their way out, but I didn't stop to help them.

"Tom! _Tom!_" I shouted, straining to lift a huge piece of concrete off of him. I punched it, making it crack into smaller pieces, and I threw them off, and then picked up Tom, giving him a shake, healing him as fast as I dared.

His hand suddenly grabbing my wrist and pushing me away made me stumble in surprise. Tom's eyes were full of pain as he lifted his shirt. Slashed into his skin was one word. _Dargason._ I lurched at the sight of it, then pressed my hand to his chest, and healed the word away. Then I pocketed Harry's wand, kissed Tom, and Apparated.

I was in such a rush; I fell in my haste to run to the house. I ripped the door off its hinges and burst into my room, and snatched my maps of the desk, then grabbed my broom and vaulted out the window. Blood was singing in my ears, and I couldn't help but picture things Bellatrix had done to me, that would certainly happen to Harry.

I flew over Burnam wood, and then finally leapt off my broom thirty feet from the ground and onto the misty moor. I didn't know how I would be able to find Dargason, considering Harry hadn't been able to find it when he was looking for me…

I glanced at the map, and then pelted as fast as I could into the mist, Harry's wand bouncing in my pocket. After skidding several times in the soggy ground, I finally crouched in the mist, by the familiar stump, and hesitated outside of Dargason. Bellatrix was faster, stronger, and no longer dead, and she had Harry. I was going to have to be careful.

I stretched quickly, and then walked into Dargason. All the houses seemed to be alive, watching my progress. As the mist cleared, I saw two figures where the two streets of town met in a cross. The center of the town had obviously been restored by magic, with the large street and lamp poles standing straight, and the dirt packed firmly down.

One figure, obviously Bellatrix, was standing dead in the center of town. The other was tied to a lamp post. Anger ignited in my chest and I strode forward, until Bellatrix and I were only a few yards away from each other.

"I told you she would come alone, didn't I?" Bellatrix said to Harry, who I suddenly realized was gagged too. His glasses were broken, and there was a bruise forming on his eye. He only watched me with what seemed a hopeless and pitying gaze. What else had she done to him, said to him? The familiar anger began to fill me up, a silent, deadly force.

I dropped the maps, but held my broom firmly with both hands, hoping I wouldn't snap the handle out of anger. "What do you want from me?" I hissed, tensing as she giggled. "Oh, come on, Girly! I thought we were such good friends. Friends don't' talk to each other like that." She spun her wand in her fingertips, watching me. I said nothing, starting to tremble with controlled emotion.

"Why don't I tell you a story?" Bellatrix said calmly. "Once upon a time, there was a great and powerful dark wizard. He was going to change the world, but he needed a plan in case he failed."

"Voldemort wasn't a real person!" I shouted, striding closer, but she flicked her wand over her shoulder at Harry, making me stop.

"Let. Me. Finish." She said coolly, unlike the insane Bellatrix, which surprised me. "Anyway, he was wise enough to realize that if he failed, he would need someone to carry on the lineage. He entrusted his true lover, his most trusted Death Eater, to make a Horcrux for herself." I froze, and she smiled. "So she did. She made a strong Horcrux, kept it on her at all times. When she died, she met someone before she was restored to life. Salazar Slytherin." She said smoothly, and horror washed over me as I put the pieces together. She had been blessed. That's why she had been able to block the rock I threw.

"Yes, she was blessed, and was ordered to defeat the only formidable enemy to Salazar. The Potter girl." Bellatrix snarled, and she suddenly tackled me, drawing her wand at the same time, pressing it against my throat, letting it burn my skin. I threw her off and grabbed my broom as she came at me. I spun out of her way, then turned and smashed it across her back. She was as fast as I was, and just as strong. She flew forward as I dropped the shattered handle and darted over to Harry, drawing his wand when a huge force grabbed my shoulders and yanked me down, his wand clattering away. My head hit the ground with an audible cracking noise, stunning me.

Bellatrix stomped on my stomach, making me shriek and tackle her legs, and then punch her in the throat. She kicked me again in the stomach, sending me backwards, and I slammed into a pole, bending it over. I felt warm blood flow down my short hair and onto my neck.

"_Crucio!_" Bellatrix shrieked, pointing at Harry, and he tensed and started to writhe as the spell hit him. I could tell he was screaming, but the gag was thick. I charged Bellatrix, and tackled her around the waist, and I heard Harry gasping for air from around his gag as I punched Bellatrix repeatedly in the eye, snatching her wand and in anger, crushed it in my hand, until a fine powder fell from my fingers.

Bellatrix rolled on top of me and punched me hard in the nose, and I heard it snap loudly. She dived for Harry's wand, but I snatched her neck and threw her clear into a house like a discus. I darted over to Harry's wand, and picked it up, and ran for him, skidding to a stop. His eyes widened, and Bellatrix suddenly tackled me hard, and we both landed with a crunch into another house.

For a second, there was no noise, but then my ring seemed to take control of me, and I was suddenly standing in front of Gordric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff and Rawena Ravenclaw. They all pointed at me, and red, yellow and blue light blasted me out of the house and flat on my back in the clearing, with a quick, forced movement.

I was gasping for air, the world was turning grey, and I could barely see Bellatrix grinning, stepping out of the house with hands glowing with green light. A huge mass of it exploded from her hands, came straight for me, but a huge dome appeared as I curled in a ball and blasted it sky high, where it vanished. I stood shakily, backing up quickly. What was happening to me?

_Call upon my courage._ Gordric's voice ran in my head. I hesitantly did, and red flames came from my hands, making Bellatrix stop in surprise. Then she ran at me, and I at her, and we clashed in the middle, swiping with deadly new power.

After a swipe that made me flip over backwards in the air, I landed on my broom fragments, and picked up a shard with my flaming hands, making it turn red hot. I threw it at her as she headed for Harry, and it passed through her abdomen with a sick squishing noise.

She roared and turned around, running at me, when I realized I no longer had Gordric on my side. Unprotected, the force of her tackle sent us flying into another house. We rolled sideways, punching and kicking into another house, boards and glass breaking. I felt a shard go into my back, and I screamed. I quickly had to turn to the side to avoid Bellatrix's punch, and grabbed a glass fragment and swiped at her, finally throwing it at her head.

_My forgiveness, when used as power, is almost unstoppable._ Helga said in my head as Bellatrix punted me out of the house, and I barely had time to tuck and roll in the clearing. Bellatrix _floated_ out of the house, the red shaft gone; her whole body glowing green. Blood on her face made her look almost Christmas-y.

I let my hands and feet charge with pulsing golden light, let it fill me up. As she lunged like a snake, I jumped and twirled in a roundhouse kick, sending her flying backwards. She landed on her feet, and smiled, stretching out like a star, and with a tremble, she seemed to step forward, but she walked around herself. She had cloned herself; there were _two_ Bellatrix's. I skidded backward, trying to watch both of them and Harry. They both attacked at once, both trying to hold me down. In a whirling little ball, we rolled around, hitting, strangling, punching, when I kicked one across the clearing, and started strangling the other, blinking as blood ran into my eyes.

Instead of dying, she disappeared in a puff of green smoke, which hovered around as the real Bellatrix skidded to a halt, and stopped running at me, starting to smile. The smoke suddenly dived, twisting around me in a tornado, hardening into solid green wisps. They dived for me, and wrapped around and around, tightening.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." Bellatrix said loudly, sauntering over as I strained against the green. It was stronger than any material I had ever felt. My body was pulsing orange, Gordric and Helga's latest blessings powering in my veins. She stopped in front of me, watching me struggle.

"I knew Salazar could beat you. It's only a shame to kill one's equal. To think, I get to kill two Potters today, and one gets to watch the other die." She spat the last word, and raised one, glowing green hand. It was pulsating dangerously, drawing the smoke around me forward, and me as well. I leaned back to avoid it, and accidentally caught Harry's gaze. He looked horrified, fighting like a mad man against enchanted ropes that pulled tighter every time he tried.

_Think. You have the power to defeat her and Salazar. _Rawena seemed to be annoyed that I was trapped. Ice started to lace into my veins as the green started to become everything. It suddenly came to me. "Voldemort never loved you, he loved me all along." I hissed, tensing, refusing to accept I was tied up, at her mercy.

The light vanished. I hit the ground with a nasty crunch, and Bellatrix was standing in front of me, looking stunned and hurt. Her eyes were actually filling with tears, even though the smoke seemed to follow someone else's command, they twisted back around me, tighter yet, making me cry out in pain as they cut my skin harshly. When I went to heal the area, it only became tighter, making me immobile.

"Voldemort loved me, he said so." Bellatrix whispered, almost talking to herself, completely ignoring me.

"He lied," I snarled in pain, laughing sarcastically, jerking my shoulders in a weak attempt to free myself. "He told me you were his back up in case I refused him." I groaned and looked at the sky as I felt the green get in my veins, making me hold unnaturally still.

I was suddenly crumpled on the ground, and Bellatrix was holding my chin up. 'What else did he say about me?" She breathed, picking me up and actually cradling me to herself, desperate for an answer.

My fist smashed into her face, and I heard her jaw crack. She dropped me and kicked me, battering me across the clearing.

_To be continued…_


	68. Chapter 68

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Eight-

CECILY POV

I ran at Bellatrix, and started to lose control to my anger. I had never been more focused in my life, flipping, dodging, kicking, and punching at exactly the right moment. Voldemort hadn't been real, and Tom loved me. And I wasn't going to let her kill Harry, nor anyone in my family or friends. I was going to kill all the Dark Wizards once and for all.

I flung Bellatrix across the clearing and strode after her, not waiting for to get up or retaliate. She threw a knife at me with stunning speed, and I didn't doge fast enough. The force of her throw made the hilt lodge into my skin, and the knife point, jagged with age, come out my shoulder.

It bowled me over, flat on my back, screaming in pain. There was something on the blade that was burning my skin. She picked me up by the robes, locked my hands behind my back, and walked me over to Harry. I could tell he had been fighting, but the ropes hadn't shifted. He was watching me in horror as we came closer and closer.

Bellatrix tied my hands with the green smoke, then came around and grasped the hilt. She pulled it out, and I screamed louder than I have in my life, falling to my knees. The smoke vanished, and there was suddenly a hilt in my face.

"Take it, or he dies." She had Harry's wand, and had it pressed against his throat, watching me. I took the hilt with a trembling hand, standing, gritting my teeth at the agony. Blood was pooling on the ground, so I healed my shoulder with a gasp, and one last drop hit the ground before silence reined. All my other wounds were screaming to be healed.

"Option one. Slit his throat." Bellatrix said, tapping Harry's throat with his wand. I lurched, and he tensed. "Option two. Slit your throat." Bellatrix said, and I instantly brought the tip to my throat, making Harry lurch and try to shout something, but Bellatrix rapped his wand on his temple, making him stop. I could feel how shallow my breathing was, and the sharpness of the knife against my skin sounded amplified to my ears.

"Option three. Restore Voldemort to power." Bellatrix leaned against the post, started stroking Harry's hair again. My mind was reeling. I would gladly slit my throat for Harry, it was my best option. I brought the blade around, rested it fully against my throat. Harry shouted again, but Bellatrix tightened the gag, making the sound die instantly, although I knew he was saying something still, struggling and pleading at me with his eyes.

"Can I talk to him?" I asked, holding the dagger flush to my throat. Bellatrix smiled.

"Why not? Have a little goodbye party then." She undid the gag and stepped away, circling around us.

"You can still fight!" Harry panted as I stepped a bit closer, feeling tears fall down my face. He was in panicked desperation. I leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"I'll cut the ropes, you can Apparate to safety." I leaned away before Bellatrix could say anything against what I had just done. Harry shook his head furiously, struggling simultaneously.

"No, you can't. Tom is coming, he wanted to talk to me because-" Bellatrix flashed across my vision, and was suddenly leaning against the lamppost once more. Harry was gagged again and was shouting angrily, but the sound was muffled.

"I don't have all day." She said lazily, petting Harry again. I didn't hesitate; putting the dagger back to my throat.

"He wants to marry you!" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs, which came out as a quiet cry, but I heard it, making me drop the dagger in shock, the edge nicking some of my skin.

"Silence! _Crucio!"_ Bellatrix snarled, tightening the gag as Harry trembled and yelled under the spells power, but I was frozen. Tom wanted to _marry me._ Harry's scream of agony snapped me back to my senses. I jumped, kicked Bellatrix in the face, and brought the knife down, slicing the cords. I ran forward and tackled Bellatrix, and threw Harry's wand at him.

"Apparate!" I cried, and then shrieked in pain as Bellatrix caught me around the shoulders and threw me down, turning to kill Harry. I had felt something tear again in my left shoulder, like when Voldemort had stabbed me in the same place.

I tackled her again anyway, forcing her face into the sand. "APPARATE!" I screamed at him, trying to suffocate Bellatrix, who was starting to fight back. He hesitated, torn, raising his wand.

Bellatrix flipped me, raising her hand to kill Harry. I raised my left hand and sent a bolt from my ring right into her chest, blasting her off of me, and landing a few feet away, shaking. But it hadn't killed her, like it should have… I must not be strong enough, and that wasn't good…

"Appar-" I started to scream again, when she stormed over and knocked me into the lamppost where Harry had been, bending it as we tumbled through a garden wall and into another house. All I could do was breathe for a moment. A huge beam had fallen on me, and blood was pooling underneath me. Bellatrix stood, winked, and danced out of the house.

I heaved a beam off of me as I heard a terrible yell from Harry and a crunch. I skidded out of the house to see Harry hanging above the center clearing, surrounded and tied by the green smoke. He had blood on the side of his face, but he still had his wand clasped tightly in one shaking hand.

Seeing his blood invoked a reaction similar to Tom's when he saw my blood. With a scream of fury, I called on Gordric, asking for his sword as I grabbed Bellatrix by an ankle and wrist, then twirled as fast as I ever had, and let go. She flew through a second story window and the house collapsed. I groaned as I healed the huge gash into my stomach from the beam.

Gordric's sword appeared in my hand, shimmering with red light as the house exploded, and Bellatrix rose up, a green sword in her hand. Then we were dancing around the clearing, sparks flying and the swords screaming against each other in protest as we slashed, stabbed, blocked and parried viciously, trying to kill each other.

She sliced a long, deep cut into my arm, making me shriek in pain, falling. I rolled quickly to the side as she threw a dagger, and it quivered in the ground where I had just been as I rolled backwards and up, blocking another dagger with the sword. I caught the dagger and threw it at her, nicking the side of her arm. Blood was staining my sleeve, running down my wrist. She came at me, and I jumped up.

I kicked her hard into the air, and threw my sword as hard as I could with my re-injured shoulder. It hit her straight in the chest. Bellatrix fell silently to the ground, and stayed there. I suddenly felt incredibly tired, my shoulder oozing blood once more. The green died in Bellatrix, and the smoke began to fade around Harry. I bolted to the center, barely catching Harry as he fell; my limbs shaking with fatigue.

I set him upright, and he turned around and seized me in a hug that I could barely return. He held me up in concern as I staggered, seeing my wound. I could hear shouting, and footsteps pounding in, now that Bellatrix's influence wasn't hiding the town, but I was too tired to care. Harry quickly dropped as I did, giving me a shake.

"I'm…alright." I whispered, forcing myself to try to stand, and failing miserably. I slumped over again and Harry shouted something panicked to someone else, then strong arms I was used to lifted me like a child, and held me bridal style.

_I'm in Tom's arms…_ I thought blearily, and then I was drowning in darkness…


	69. Chapter 69

-The Graveyard, Chapter Sixty Nine-

TOM POV

"Damn it," I hissed, sitting down, Cecily across my lap. I dug quickly in my bag and pulled out the only potion I carried, a healing one. I don't know what happened between Bellatrix and her, but judging by the surrounding houses and Cecily's condition, it had been a dreadful fight.

I propped up her head and poured some of the potion in-between her unusually pale lips. The blood stopped from the large cut on her arm, and after a quick examination, found that for the moment, she would be alright.

"Harry, you're bleeding." I said, and carefully laid Cecily out, then came over to Harry, who was being attacked by his mother. I handed him the bottle and he drank, the black eye fading and the cut on his head sealing. He repaired his glasses with a shaking hand.

"What happened, Harry?" his Dad asked urgently, as I went back over to Cecily and crouched beside her. I knew she was still in her sleep, but the incredible stiffness to her body was starting to worry me. At least her shoulder had started to heal.

"Bellatrix was ordered to make a Horcrux, and she was blessed like Cecily was, but only by Salazar Slytherin." Harry said shakily, and I heard someone conjure a chair. Harry sat heavily and continued. "They started fighting, and Cecily was somehow blessed again, so they were even-"

"Why didn't you tell us you were hit by the Cruciatus Curse, more that once even?" Moody barked suddenly from behind him, casting a spell that made Harry tense, and then relax.

"I was getting to that. While they fought, Bellatrix cursed me a few times, but Cecily and her fought each other so fast, I could barely see them. Once, she got control of Cecily, and she was going to kill herself, for me, on Bellatrix's orders—"

Cecily gasped swiftly beside me on the ground, and I knelt quickly to her height as she breathed quickly and shallowly, finally opening her eyes slowly. She looked confused, then jumped, flipping over backwards, and landed lightly on her feet, looking quickly around, and ready for a fight. "Cecily, easy, easy." I said quietly, stepping slowly closer. She turned quickly to look at me, making similar patterns as the same thin lines crisscrossing all over the middle of town. She looked like she was moving on her toes, and her feet looked small and gently pointed, un-human.

"Cecily, it's alright, everyone is fine." I said, holding out a hand. Compared to mine, hers was slim and pointed, almost in the same shape as her feet, battle ready. As she slowly relaxed and took my hand, hers went back to normal, and her feet. Then she was clinging to me, hands tightening into fists on my shirt. She was trembling. "I thought, I thought…" She said quickly, pulling back faster than she usually moved (which was fast) to look at me, and saw the group standing (and in Harry's case, sitting) out in her peripheral vision.

She was suddenly over there, clinging to Harry this time. Everyone had stiffened and was blinking rapidly at her incredibly fast movements. Harry rubbed her back, looking tired. "I'm sorry, I had to make her think I was going to slit it, I wouldn't have left you with her…" She spoke quickly, fluidly, but with perfect clarity. She frantically straightened his glasses, smoothed his hair, making sure he was alright.

"You didn't have a choice." Harry said, gently detangling himself out of her embrace and turning her around, to be hugged almost viciously by her parents. He looked at me. "I'm sorry, she knows. I had to tell her to give her something to live for…" I held up a hand, stopping him, and nodded as she came back to me, holding on to me with unusual strength.

"Did she mention if any of the other Death Eaters made Horcruxes?" Dumbledore said sharply, coming around the corner of the street, carrying things from the Thane household under his arm, surveying the damage to the surrounding houses in surprise.

"No, she only said he asked her, but we obviously can't trust her. Where were the bodies taken?" Cecily asked, squeezing my hand. I felt a pang of remorse for killing that many people so viciously.

"They were buried outside of Azkaban." Lupin said quietly, putting an arm around Tonks. For a moment, no one spoke.

"Let's leave, Cecily, Harry, Tom, I'm sure you are all exhausted." Dad said firmly, pulling Harry back up out of the chair. I gently looped my arm around Cecily's waist, and we walked out of Dargason for a second time; and watched it fade away to nothing once more.

Everyone Apparated to the closest house, the Weasley's Burrow, and Mrs. Weasley forced me, Cecily and Harry to sit down, insisting that we stay the night, to rest. I couldn't' help but agree, Cecily's healing had been fast and sloppy, and my head and ribs still ached from the large piece of rubble that had fallen on me.

It should have killed me, but it didn't. That was really a miracle in itself, but I was exhausted, Harry had been tortured, and Cecily had fought for two lives today. I carried her up the stairs and set her down on the bed we were to share, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bed. Harry murmured a goodnight on his way to Ron's room.

"So, I hear you want to marry me?" Cecily said sleepily, curling and snuggling inside me, fitting perfectly. I draped my arm around her waist as I thought about what to say.

"I do. I already broke a rule I should have kept, it was very improper to not have married you before we had sex." I said, and she laughed drowsily.

"I would have made you anyway…" she yawned, snuggling closer. I smirked into her hair.

"That may be true, but I do want to marry you Cecily. It's only proper." I insisted, kissing her earlobe.

"Aren't we a little young?" Cecily said, turning around to face me, awake now. I snorted.

"So getting married a hundred years from now would be better? I think no one would object, especially because Harry thought it was a fantastic idea." I said, as she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure Harry thought it was the best thing since Firebolts'." She said sarcastically, and shifted.

"Why are you so stubborn today? It's not like we are committing animal sacrifice or anything. It's just marriage." I whispered conspiratorially and she started giggling. I shushed her lightly as I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. For a moment, we were nose to nose, silent, listening to the footsteps continue up the steps and die away.

"Mum and Mrs. Weasley will go nuts. And all the other males will be impossible." She said, and I winced at the mention of her parents. Usually I called them Mr. or Mrs. Potter, but I couldn't imagine calling them Mum and Dad.

"You're parents are an issue…Sirius is too." I admitted, and her face darkened at me mentioning Sirius.

"Personally, I think they could handle someone else calling them Lily and James." She said after a moment. "And Sirius could suck it up. I think he's warming up to you." I raised my eyebrows.

"He seemed alright to kick me full in the ribs off a flying broomstick, so yeah, were good mates." I sighed. She almost growled under her breath and turned back around, fitting against me like a glove.

"Sirius…is a problem." She said finally, taking my hand in hers. "But he should have seen this coming. Besides, people do crazy things when they're in love." She yawned again, snuggling closer if possible. I let her fall asleep this time, but I stayed awake for a long time.


	70. Chapter 70

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy-

CECILY POV

I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke up, Tom was sitting in a chair, reading a book from the Weasley's bookshelf. Sun that managed to get around the curtains was bright and higher up, letting me know it was far past dawn. "What time is it?" I yawned, making Tom flinch as I broke the silence. He checked his watch.

"A little past noon, sleepyhead. Welcome to the world of the living." He joked, and turned a page. I yawned again and slowly unwound myself from the blankets. All night, the fight had played over and over again in my mind. I couldn't believe I had gotten out alive.

"What is the family doing?" I yawned again, trudging over. Tom put his book down and pulled me down by the waist into his lap. I went without complaint, still tired. "They are having brunch outside." Tom said.

He rubbed my shoulders and back until I woke up, then easily picked me up and carried me down the winding stairs and sat me at the kitchen table. The house was quiet, but I could hear people talking outside in the sun. "What's for breakfast, dear?" I asked jokingly, but Tom frowned, confused.

"What _is_ for breakfast?" Tom muttered rhetorically, scanning the kitchen, making me laugh. He held up a finger, and turned around again, starting to make me something. After a few peaceful minutes, Tom made a dish fly over. As it righted in front of me, I examined my meal. It was two eggs and a piece of bacon, making a smiley face. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Tom frowned as I bowed over, laughing and fell off the chair. "I worked hard on that." He said sulkily, making me laugh harder. Tom came over and picked me up, and sat me on the table. Then he suddenly grinned wolfishly and started tickling me. I squeaked in surprise, and he started to roar with laughter. I rolled to the other side of the table to escape, and we stared each other down, still chuckling a little. I easily jumped over the table and tackled Tom easily into Mrs. Weasley's overstuffed arm chair. He grunted in surprise as I trapped him effortlessly.

"I _win._" I said, giggling. He pouted, and I laughed harder, losing my grip. He leapt out of the armchair and tackled me lightly to the floor, pinning me.

"_I _win." Tom said, sitting on me with all his weight, smirking. I rolled my eyes and faster than a blink, I was sitting on top of him, wearing an identical smirk.

"I really don't think you can beat me at wrestling. It's never going to work." I said, reaching over and grabbing my breakfast, putting it on his chest. "Good eggs." I complimented him as he put his arms under his head, grinning.

"Nice family." He said, and I looked over my shoulder. Mom had an 'aww' face on, but Harry and Dad looked like they were going to puke. Tom started laughing, making the plate fall off his chest he was laughing so hard. I flushed a deep red, getting up and snatching the fallen plate.

"Hey guys," I said nonchalantly over Tom's roaring laughter that was dying away into weak chuckles. "Harry, how are you feeling today?" I asked primly, leaning against the counter, eating my piece of bacon with distaste. I hated bacon, and Tom knew it.

"A little sick now." Harry said finally, and Tom chuckled, getting up and sitting at the table. I shot Harry a dark look and mouthed 'Ginny?' The look slid right off his face and he flushed. "You slept long enough." He said, sitting next to Tom, Mum and Dad joining them.

"Hey, fighting is hard work." I said, coming over and sitting down across from them. Tom cleared his throat, got up and sat next to me.

"Mr. Potter, I'm sure you have noticed that I've been courting your daughter." Tom said nervously, and I giggled at the word 'courting.' Tom's old English flair was going to kill him one day. Dad's face turned a purple-y color.

"We approved of it." Mum said, smiling hugely. Harry just settled back, grinning.

"Well, I was wondering if you would approve upon giving me her hand in marriage." Tom said calmly enough, but he was squeezing my hand tighter than I thought he could. It was cute. Dad's face was not cute. His face had drained of any color. Mum was bouncing in her chair, nodding, crying, but Dad was stiff.

"Hell, I approve." Harry said, getting up and smacking Tom on the back on his way out the door.

"I do give consent. I just didn't think it would happen so soon." Dad said finally, looking very old and tired as he leaned forward across the table. Mum stiffened, but then nodded softly, sitting back.

"Thank you, both of you." Tom said, going limp with relief. I just sat there, picturing myself in a white dress and trying not to shudder. I wanted to marry Tom, I loved him, but the aspect suddenly seemed alien.

Mrs. Weasley's head peeked around the corner, and I smiled at her. I could tell Harry had told everyone outside what was going on, because her face was stiff with restrained emotion. She squealed and ran in, hugging me like a life raft, and managing to ruffle Tom's hair affectionately. "I can't believe it! Married at seventeen!" She cried, holding me at arms length.

I snuck a glance at Tom, still smiling. He was grinning like an idiot. Thinking about spending the rest of my days (which was forever, at this point) made extreme waves of love and affection wash over me. "I assume you want it to be a small wedding?" Mrs. Weasley asked, suddenly writing things down, making me blink. Usually, I didn't get disoriented; being a super-human after all, but I had missed her movement. I raised an eyebrow at her, listening to the considerably softer chatter outside as it came closer.

"Define small." Tom said, coming over and taking my hand, sitting on the table, and I came up next to him. I had dreaded this in the back of my mind, Mrs. Weasley and my mother planning every detail, but Tom's presence calmed me down.

"Well, only a hundred people really—" she started, but my gasp of surprise made her stop.

"One-one _hundred?"_ I asked in shock, and she tisked, while writing. I quickly ducked as a tape measure I hadn't seen flew back to her.

"Of course, dear. If you think about it, the people really add up. All of the Order, all the Hogwarts teachers, all of us…" she trailed off, scribbling furiously on her pad as my mother told her something while looking over her shoulder. I had paled as she mentioned all the people I hadn't realized would be in attendance.

"It won't be as bad as you think." Tom reassured me, putting an arm around me. I groaned, burying my head into his shoulder.

"I just wish it was over and done with already. If we could be married right now, I wouldn't care." I said, the sound muffled by his skin, which smelt amazing by the way, like nutmeg. The smell of it made lightning race through my veins.

"Right now, with a bed head and in your pajamas? Don't be silly, dear. You're going to be beautiful." Mrs. Weasley insisted, poking me with her quill to raise my head. I leaned my head on Tom's shoulder as her and Mum asked us endless questions, until finally, we were free.

"Congrats, love birds." Fred called as we walked into the sunny yard. A long picnic table had been set up, and I could see the gnomes in the garden, and most of the yard, the chicken coop, Mr. Weasley's shed, everything.

"Where are your rings?" Ginny asked as I made a face at Fred's comment. I shrugged, but Tom looked in a bad way.

"Tom?" I asked, giving him a little shake, He snapped out of it, but still looked distraught.

"Wait _right there._" He stressed, and dashed back to the house. I rolled my eyes and sat at the table, crossing my legs and leaning my head back, slouching, enjoying the sun. After a few minutes, he skidded into the yard and back over, with a little black felt bag.

"Eliv wanted us to have these." He panted, opening the bag, and I mentally made a note to yell at Eliv at my next opportunity. I hated rings, for reasons that are obvious. He rummaged through the bag and then pulled out a gold band, and handed it to me. It was plain, yet it was etched on the inside with words I thought were runes. He pulled out the second ring, _my_ ring. It was another gold band, and two smaller black diamonds were on either side of one large crystal clear one, like the one around his neck, but smaller.

"Gracious." I said, the first thing that popped into my head. The ring was beautiful, and I found myself liking it. He stared at me for a moment, before I smiled and stood, straightening my nightgown. Then he became very serious, and slid down on one knee.

"It's very late and out of place, but Cecily Lily Potter, will you marry me?" He asked. I copied him.

"It is rather out of place, but Tom Marvolo Riddle, will _you _marry _me_?" I asked, and his face broke into a smile.

"I would be honored. He said, standing, and I slipped the plain band on the correct finger, then stood, and he carefully slipped it onto mine, and then kissed my cursed ring. Ginny and Hermione broke into enthusiastic applause, but the men stayed silent, looking a little sick.

"It will happen to you, someday." I said to George, and kissed Tom on the cheek, my left hand feeling suddenly heavy with another ring on it. He made a face as Mum came across the yard.

"Cecily, will you go get dressed? We have things to do, get a dress, prepare a guest list, set a menu, prepare the house, get a minister, set a décor, come on! Get dressed! She said playfully, but with a firmness I couldn't ignore.

I ran as fast as I could up to my room and got dressed, fastening my purple cloak thirty seconds later as I came down the stairs, normal speed, my hair (now to my shoulders) bulled back in a loose braid.

"Diagon Alley, now go!" Mrs. Weasley said, pushing me towards the fireplace.

"Bye, Tom, love you!" I called to him across the kitchen, and he raised his chin and smiled as Mrs. Weasley tapped her foot impatiently. I took some Floo Powder, and was taken away by the rush of green fire.


	71. Chapter 71

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy One-

CECILY POV

We ended up in Madam Malkin's, and Mum took my arm as Mrs. Weasley took the lead, already browsing the racks and racks of the girls section of dresses, cloaks and robes. "Can I help you?" Madam Malkin asked kindly, coming around the counter, measuring tape around her neck, wand in hand.

"My daughter is getting married, and she's going to need a dress." Mum said calmly enough, but I could see the excitement explode behind her eyes. Madam Malkin offered her congratulations then suddenly stopped, looking at us strangely.

"Lily Potter?" She asked after a moment, and Mum nodded, tensing slightly. She glanced at Mrs. Weasley, absorbed in the racks, and then back to me, looking me up and down. "Then this is your daughter? The one who was Voldemort's…" She struggled to finish her sentence, watching me with wide eyes.

"Cecily Potter, it's a pleasure." I forced myself to say, extending a hand that she shook nervously, examining the two rings on my left hand, one cursed, one not. My hand looked frail compared to her pudgy one. She suddenly burst into a wide grin.

"Forgive me, welcome! What kind of dress were you thinking of? Traditional? Modern? Contemporary?" Madam Malkin asked, suddenly all business. She strode over to the racks, leaving us to follow.

"I hadn't really thought about it," I said honestly and she tisked.

"Then we better start with measurements…" she trailed off, and the tape measure began of it's own accord, getting my height, my waist, my arm span…it seemed to go on forever, measuring some of the weirdest things I thought really wouldn't matter.

"Well, you are a petite one, aren't you? She asked, observing the piece of parchment in front of her with the measurements. I nodded, unsure of what she meant. "And you're taller than I expected…hmmm…" She started pawing through a rack, and pulled out three dresses. "Let's get a basis for what you are looking for…changing room is there." She pointed it out and handed me the dresses. I thanked her and reluctantly stepped inside.

The first one was traditional, with a high neck and lots of lace. It felt more like a nightgown. I stepped out and Madam Malkin shooed me over to the mirror. I looked like I belonged in a 16th century photo. I knew Tom would love it, but I thought it was rather frumpy.

"I can tell from your face dear, try on the next one." Madam Malkin said after a minute of observation. I hitched up the long trail and went back to the dressing room. The second was gorgeous, a strapless white gown with a white corset on the outside and a full skirt. After a moment of pushing, I got the door open and stepped out. Mum looked like she wanted to burst into tears. Mrs. Weasley applauded enthusiastically as I stepped onto the pedestal. **(If you saw Penelope the movie, it's like her dress but without the feathers.)**

"Good Merlin." Madam Malkin said, paling behind me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, concerned. I liked this dress a lot, it was a tad old fashioned for Tom, and was concealing enough for me. I looked over my shoulder to see Madam Malkin looking like she had seen a ghost, and she was starting to cry. Did she do this with all her customers?

Mum looked at her to where she was looking and her face went cold, so I quickly turned around. "Alright, what is it?" I pressed, stepping down off the pedestal. Madam Malkin shook her head after a moment of staring at the mirror.

"What happened to your back?" She asked, and I felt the blood drain out of my face. I hated every cut, every scar; the tributes to Eliv's hate that would never, ever fade. We stayed that way in silence for awhile; her question needed no answering. Memories were my worst enemy here; it had been an honest innocent question.

"I think you look beautiful in it, no matter what." Mrs. Weasley said strongly, coming over and almost picking me up and placing me back on the pedestal. The dress did look beautiful, but I couldn't' envision what the back looked like, with my scars.

"Can I have a mirror please?" I asked quietly, staring at my now pale and almost sickly looking self in the mirror. Madam Malkin hesitated, but then handed me a mirror. After a bit of positioning, I was looking at the back of a beautiful dress, and all along the top of my shoulders was the deep and crisscrossed slashes, disappearing only at the top of the dress. I stared at them for a long time, getting used to how it would look. I wasn't going to wear a frumpy ugly dress to hide them.

"I'll take it." I said after a few minutes. "Either way, they'll show sometime." I concluded, and Mum took the mirror from me, quickly wiping away tears I refused to let spill. I would certainly dream about it later, though.

"Wait! You need a veil. Here." Madam Malkin draped the tiny veil over my face and pinned it into my hair, which she then pinned up in a loose style. I looked at myself in the mirror, and smiled timidly after a minute, which made Mum and Mrs. Weasley start talking excitedly, while Madam Malkin did her pinning and taking in, making the dress fit me like a glove.

When we were finally done, I was forced to look at bridesmaid dresses, and chose a simple lavender colored dress that had a sweetheart neckline and wrapped around the waist. I felt bad about how much it was going to cost, but Mum wouldn't hear any of it, and she bought everything. As I was changing out of my dress, I looked at my back in the mirror, memorizing the twisted lashed pattern into my back for a minute before putting my shirt back on.

"Thank you, Madam Malkin, for everything." I said politely, and she insisted on a hug before we left the store. I was glad to go back home. We had to Apparate, for fear of the dresses getting ashy. As we crossed the yard, I saw a Quidditch game going on in the larger field. We entered the house and I flopped onto the armchair with a sigh. Crookshanks came from across the room and hopped into my lap, purring. I tiredly pet him as Mum and Mrs. Weasley gushed to each other as they started making dinner.

I took a cat nap with Crookshanks and woke up to the boys loudly entering the kitchen, talking and laughing uproariously, making Crookshanks leap off of my lap with a hiss. I got out of the chair and joined the table, sitting next to Harry, Ginny on his other side. Tom sat next to me and I leaned my head on his shoulder. I still had the picture of my back etched into my brain. I had felt the scars certainly, but never seen them all in such a harsh proximity.

"Cecily, you look exhausted." Hermione commented from across the table, and I smiled softly, taking a bun and nibbling on it.

"I'm just a little tired." I lied, but she bought it, considering I had been in a fight two days ago. I kissed Tom on the top of the head and headed back to the Potter house. I could hear Tom following me before he called my name, and I stopped for him, and then we walked hand in hand back to the house in silence.

"You're unhappy." He said abruptly into the quiet. I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't lie to Tom. Not well, anyway.

"It was nothing." I said quietly, but he planted his feet to stop me, turning me around to face him.

"It's never nothing with me. What happened?" He pressed, stroking my defined cheekbone softly, his eyes boring into me.

"I tried on a strapless dress." I said flatly, and he looked confused and was silent for a moment.

"I don't understand." He said finally, in defeat. I sighed, looking up at him.

"You could see the scars on my back." I said almost inaudibly." Tom's face was in shadow, so I couldn't see his expression. I knew he would blame himself for this, the exact opposite of what I wanted. I surprised him by standing on my tippy toes to kiss him. Slightly bewildered, he kissed me back. I knew my pathetic attempt at a distraction wouldn't hold off the self-hatred for long.

Then I just hugged him, halfway between our houses, in the dark. He held me for a long time, saying nothing.


	72. Chapter 72

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy Two-

CECILY POV

"It never was nor will be your fault. It just surprised me is all." I told him firmly, as we continued walking towards the house. He was silent. Despite my overwhelming urge to knock that sense into him, I knew that I could never truly make him forgive himself, even if it wasn't his fault. Enduring it was hard enough; I couldn't imagine doing it to an innocent person without any control over your body.

We silently entered the house and went right upstairs to my room. Tom hadn't said anything, and just by looking at his face, I could tell he was beating himself up over it. I sat him down in a chair and took my shirt off. He raised his head only when I turned around, and I could hear him gasp. He had felt my scars, sure, but he had never seen all of them.

I turned around again and knelt in front of Tom, and hugged his legs, and we sat that way for a long time. "We may always hurt the ones we love, but they never stop loving you for who you are." I whispered into his pant leg. He flinched but bent over and picked me up, sat me on his lap and held me tight, his hands making fists against my bare back.

He gently traced each one, each scar thick and deep enough for his finger. His breath hitched several times, but he kept going, making sure everyone and the deep impression in the middle from the worst of the beatings was thoroughly traced. Eliv's voice scared me as he talked through Tom.

"I will never be able to express the sorrow for what I've done." His voice was incredibly sad.

"We are all misguided sometimes." I breathed, my head buried into Tom's shoulder. Eliv laughed darkly.

"This," Tom stroked my back, his fingers trembling with emotion, "Is not misguided. This is cruel and—"

"The truth won out in the end, Eliv. That goes for you too, Tom. It took time, but it's over. What's done can't be undone."

"Exactly." Tom said flatly, himself again. He held me at arm's length and examined my thin yet strong arms, tracing the scars and burns here and there. He traced the 4 puncture marks behind each shoulder, the only symbol alive of what Avery had done. Then he followed every hollow of my face, his face twisting.

"Tom, we've been over this before. I _love_ you. I'm marrying you in less than a few days, and we only have forever. _You and I were both helpless._" I stressed, squeezing his shoulders gently. When he didn't respond, I got into pajamas and got into bed. Tom followed me methodically, coping what I had done and curled up next to me, holding me tighter than usual. I honestly didn't mind.

The next morning, I could hear Mrs. Weasley and Mum calling, but I ignored them, and snuggled deeper into Tom, who reflexively curled tighter around me, still asleep. I could barely remember last night; I knew I had more of those terrible nightmares, but I couldn't remember what they were. I felt a pang of stupidity for putting Tom through it _again._

I closed my eyes and easily faked sleep as Mum peeked in through my bedroom door. After a moment, the door closed again, leaving me in peace. I carefully turned over under Tom's strong and slightly tan arm and moved right up against him, amazed at the obvious strength and firmness of every muscle. He was healthy, and I obviously wasn't. The smooth heat coming from him, along with that nutmeg-y scent made me sleepy again.

I lethargically felt Tom stroking my hair later. I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep. Tom's face was against my shoulder, and I could feel the sureness of his breath, the evenness of his heart beat against my other ear. "Tom," I said so quietly, he barely heard it, shifting only a little to somehow fit closer to him.

"Are you awake, my love?" He asked just as quietly, obviously thinking I was dreaming.

"Mhmm." I sighed into him, not willing to scoot out enough to see his face. "Tom, what did I dream about last night?" I said, tensing slightly, as did he.

"I honestly wasn't sure. You kept acting like you were in pain." He said slowly, which meant I had been gasping with pain during the night. Wonderful.

"And what did _you_ dream about?" I asked at random, trying to distract him from blaming himself once more. He was quiet again.

"My perspective from the first time 'I' gave' the order to beat you." He said almost silently. Neither of us said anything, wrapped up in our own memories.

"A Knut for your thoughts." Tom said finally sounding overly composed.

"I was thinking about the first time you kissed me." I responded instantly, worming my way out of the tight embrace to look him dead in the eye, with one eyebrow raised. His face was overly smooth and composed, so I knew he was trying to hide his emotion, something I didn't want him to do. If I shared unwillingly in my dreams, I had to make sure he vented as well.

"In case you forgot, I stabbed you afterward and then you died." Tom snapped. I kissed him to stop his self-hate.

"But then I found out what was happening and _I_ went and saved _you._ I could have easily left you trapped in there, but I _didn't._" I said just as angrily. "And no matter what, you have to let that go. I haven't stored all my hate and pain you indirectly caused me! So why should you keep up this self-hate!? That's what I set out to destroy when I was determined to find that amulet." I fingered the beautiful amulet that still hung from around his neck. Tom sighed slowly.

"I try for you Cecily, I really do. But every night when I have to hear you scream, cry and in pain, I just can't stand it, knowing I did that to you."

"INDIRECTLY." I snarled, burrowing back into his chest. For a moment, we again didn't speak. I'm sure he was thinking of something to say, while I was trying to calm down. I told myself I wasn't going to get worked up over this, and yet I was.

"Tom," I started timidly, "I love you for what and who you are, and I always will. Don't do this, or I'll have to force some sense into you. And you know I can do that." I threatened, lightly wrapping my much thinner and paler arms around him, the muscle given to me by Helga Hufflepuff flexing smoothly; almost dangerously under my skin.

"CECILY, GET UP NOW!!!" Ginny bellowed up the stairs, scaring both of us. In a confused tumble of arms and legs, we fell off the bed and onto the floor with a loud _bang._ I had shrieked in surprise, and Tom had shouted something along the lines of: "Bloody hell!" As I jolted to get up, I hit my head on the bed and shrieked again in a combined express of pain as Tom also elbowed me accidentally in the ribs trying to untangle himself.

"You guys ok up there?" Ginny called up the stairs, laughing. Tom started to laugh along with her, giving up trying to free himself, and just laid there laughing. I blinked the stars away from my eyes and slithered through Tom's limbs to prop myself up on top of him, starting to laugh myself.

"Oh, hey babe." I said nonchalantly and Tom roared with laughter, making me fall off his chest due to the vibrations. He started to get up and cracked his head on the bed too, shouting" "OUCH, FUCK!!" At the top of his lungs, making me laugh harder than ever, tears leaking out of my eyes as I observed the ceiling. Suddenly, it was replaced with Tom, trying to glower and having a terrible time doing it. His lips were curving up in a smile.

"And what are _you_ laughing at?" He growled, tickling me fiercely. I shrieked again in surprise, still laughing and moved faster than I ever have, getting out of his embrace and picking him up easily in my arms.

"You." I laughed, kissing his forehead. Ignoring his protests, I easily carried him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Mum! The Tom came overnight!" I announced to the whole kitchen, Tom still trying to get down and being totally unsuccessful.

"Cecily, I'm going to kill you," Tom chuckled, still fighting my skinny arm keeping him down, and having quite a time with it.

"He's kind of grumpy in the morning." I informed Mum, who had a 'aawww' face on, as did all the girls at the table. The boys looked bemused. I walked over and maneuvered a chair out with my foot and neatly placed Tom in the chair, pushing it in at super-speed. Tom blinked, suddenly sitting upright and at the table.

"Eh, she gets me to the food." He said, shrugging, and got himself a portion of porridge.


	73. Chapter 73

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy Three-

TOM POV

Somehow, after all the morning mayhem, I managed to end up with Sirius and James shopping for tuxes with the rest of the guys. Poor Cecily had been surrounded by invitations and lists when we left.

"How about this one, mate?" Harry asked, holding up a gold tux with black trimmings, getting a light smack on the back of the head from his father.

"Something a bit more…I don't know, un-pimp like?" He said laughingly, turning to look at another rack as Sirius seized it and held it up to him in a mirror, admiring it.

"I don't know Prongs, it's certainly attractive. Prongslet has his mind set on the goal here!" He said, smacking Harry on the back, nearly impaling him on a sales rack full of black dress robes.

"_Prongslet?!"_ Harry spluttered indignantly, picking up his glasses from where they had fallen. I hid my laughter by quickly ducking into the next aisle where the Weasley's were, as a mini argument sprouted in the other aisle over inappropriate nicknames.

"Find anything?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking a bit harried, trying to keep an eye on the twins, who were wearing tux's over their heads and through their arms, flying around like bats.

"Um, this one's perfect." I said, gesturing with my arm. I had one tux/dress robe over my arm, that was the basic black and white, but with light blue trimmings on the sleeves. It reminded me of Cecily's ring.

"Good enough for me, and it will have to be good enough for Molly—BOYS!" He shouted at Fred and George, who were stalking the manager making strange clicking noises.

After a slight argument, everyone managed to leave the store with appropriate clothing necessary for the wedding. Cecily and I had decided that Harry should be our best man from the get-go, and since I had no parents available to be present at the wedding, Mr. Weasley would be assuming that role. We were getting married on their land after all, a tiny hill in the middle of a field.

We cautiously walked into the house, expecting a flurry of activity, but it was oddly silent. As I bravely peeked my head around the corner first, I was greeted by stacks of papers everywhere, but all the women were asleep except Cecily, who was absentmindedly twirling both rings on her left hand, staring out the window. She turned before I could say anything and smiled her lovely smile that made my heart pound.

"I tired them out." She whispered in a satisfied tone, taking my hand as we walked back into the kitchen where the rest of the guys were waiting in a sort of deadly silence.

"They're asleep for the moment, I suggest you don't wake them." Cecily sighed, sitting on the corner of the table, playing with a lock of her now longer hair. It went past her shoulders in the identical color and wave of her mothers. She was like Harry but in reverse, almost none of her father's traits showed through, except for her eyes.

The rest of the males struck up in a conversation as I rubbed Cecily's shoulders. She sighed heavily, but relaxed under my fingertips. "We should just elope, I swear." She groaned, putting her head in her hands. I couldn't help but admire both rings on her dainty left hand.

"If you do that, we'll have to kill you." Mrs. Weasley said sharply, entering the kitchen with Cecily's Mum. Cecily's head shot up in surprise. She must be exhausted, usually she would hear them coming as soon as they woke up. "Did you get the suits?" Mrs. Weasley addressed me as the other males kind of froze.

"We purchased suits, yes," I said carefully. I handed her the bag and she peeked inside, poked around, then smiled broadly.

'Excellent! Good choice dear." She surprisingly was faster than Cecily and moved it away from her reaching hand and placed it on the kitchen counter.

"You can't see it before the wedding, just like Tom can't see the dress. It's tradition, now sit down." Her voice was so authoritative, it reminded me of Professor McGonagall. Cecily blinked in surprise and slowly sat back down, and Mrs. Weasley placed one of the long lists in front of her. "The newly revised guest list, what do you think? It may seem big, but the ceremony will go quite quickly." She said, but Cecily was ignoring her, reading the list. I curiously peeked over her shoulder and read.

"It's quite a lot of people." I said, still reading the paper, unsure of how to feel. I would be nervous no matter what, no matter how many people were in attendance, but the long list made me more nervous than before.

"I told her that dear, but she won't budge." Cecily sighed, pushing the list back. Mrs. Weasley beamed with pleasure and rolled up the list with a flick of her wand and it went back to the living room to join the others.

"Well, dear, I wanted to talk about something else...I decided to move up the day of the wedding. I thought tomorrow would be appropriate because everyone on the list can make it-"

Cecily, who had been drinking the glass of water her Mum gave her choked and I hit her lightly on the back until her coughing subsided. She had gotten paler, if possible. "T-tomorrow?!!!" She stuttered finally.

"Well, why wait? I think it's a grand idea." Mrs. Weasley said firmly, and Cecily stood up, looking horrified.

"I know you wouldn't do this to me…you wouldn't have sent out the invitations already, you wouldn't…" I paled as Mrs. Weasley flushed. I thought she had only been considering it…

"Oh Merlin…" I choked and sat in Cecily's chair. Married. Tomorrow. The idea was blasphemy. Utter nonsense. All noise in the kitchen stopped as Cecily slowly sat down on my knees, her face almost blinding in paleness.

"We haven't…even-" Cecily attempted to say something, but her shock made her fall silent again. Mrs. Weasley snorted. "You don't need to rehearse, you say yes and kiss." She snapped, flushing deeper at our distress. Cecily's Mum looked surprised, but her face calmed quickly.

"Cecily, Tom, you will be fine. You love each other, and that's all you really need. Honestly. You knew the day was going to come. You'll thank us after the wedding of course." She said, suddenly no nonsense and turned to glare at the utter shock written on all the males faces. "Don't just stand there, be useful!" She scolded, sweeping out of the room, Mrs. Weasley accompanying her.

"Good luck with that, mate." Fred said, and he and George left, grinning. I wanted to hit them both. Before they knew it, they would be scared shitless the day before their wedding someday.

"Well, there's no stopping them now…" Mr. Weasley said, and James shook his head, looking meek. Slowly, everyone left the kitchen, until it was just Cecily and I, still sharing a chair, motionless. Suddenly, Cecily spun to sit sideways across my lap, a small smile on her beautiful, thin face.

"Oh Tom." She sighed, and curled up easily in my lap like a cat, her head resting on my shoulder. I put my arms around her and rested my head on top of hers with a sigh.

"What are we going to do with them?" I asked rhetorically, and she chuckled quietly, gently nuzzling my neck.

"I honestly don't know, but we'll be alright. Come on, let's go." She said tiredly, getting up and pulling me with her. I fell asleep with Cecily curled inside me like a crescent moon, running my fingertip lightly over both rings on her left hand that was wrapped around mine.


	74. Chapter 74

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy Four-

CECILY POV

At the crack of dawn, Mum came in and gently pulled me away from Tom. He looked very unhappy as we left, but I knew it was better than letting him wake up alone. Mum and I started across the stretch to the Weasley house in silence. Finally, she sniffed, and I looked up. She was crying. "Oh, Mum, here, sit…" I glanced quickly around and then directed her to a boulder.

"I'm sorry, Cecily, I really am. I told myself I wouldn't do this." Mum said, and I offered her my handkerchief, a wedding present from Tom. He was still incredibly old fashioned, but I loved it. She wiped at her eyes and then cleared her throat. "Cecily, even though you will tell me off for this…I'm incredibly grateful for…you. Just you in general. I'm glad you could overcome when I wasn't, you father and I weren't there to protect you. I'm so glad that you are who you are today. I'm very proud of you Cecily."

She had dried her tears, and took my hand and squeezed it. I laughed shakily and took the handkerchief back to dab my eyes. I had experienced and had deep conversations with my family, but they had always been about the pain and suffering I had been through. I embraced Mum and after a moment, we walked arm in arm the rest of the way to the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley pushed us inside and closed the door.

"Here she is, oh, this is going to be fantastic!" Hermione called up the stairs, then came flying over and hugged me fiercely, then stepped back, smiling broadly. She pulled me into the room and sat me down in the big stuffed chair. She flicked her wand and a bag came over to her, and she pulled out a bottle of blood red nail polish.

"Red?" I asked, but nobody answered as Ginny came flying down the stairs, half buried behind bags and boxes.

"Yes, red. Considering we can't fix you up with spells, which would save _a lot_ of time, I think we can go over the top a little. Besides, they will look nice considering you're going to be wearing snow white all day." She said firmly, using her wand to magic the paintbrush quickly over my finger and toe nails.

"Well that went fast enough." I said, but Mum laughed.

"Just wait Cecily, this is going to take a LONG time." She said, then undid my braid and started combing it with fervor.

__

TOM POV

"Well here is the man of the day!" Fred said loudly as I walked moodily into the kitchen. He poured me a large firewhisky and sat it in front of me. I raised an eyebrow as I noticed that all the men were either quiet or very, very loud.

"You're all drunk." I said, and it wasn't a question. Ron laughed uproariously, then nodded meekly and took a huge swig of firewhisky, making his eyes tear and his face turn the same color as his hair.

"And you should be too! Drink up Tom. By the end of the day you'll be tied to Cecily _forever._" James said firmly, with a loud emphasis on forever. Then he giggled like a school girl and hiccupped.

"Mrs. Weasley is going to kill you guys. You have to set up the tent and everything yet, not to mention welcome people in, sit through the ceremony, and dance all night. Isn't it a little early to be so hammered?"

Everyone looked at me stupidly. I took a sip of the firewhisky and welcomed the heat as Mr. Weasley swore and got up, staggered across the kitchen and swerved out the door. "Ah shit," James groaned, clapped me on the back, and pulled me over to the other end of the kitchen as everyone else slowly found their way out the door.

"Good, now, Tom." He said seriously, standing up straight and sobering up. It was now obvious to me that he hadn't been drunk at all, just pretending. "I have the rings for the actual ceremony. You have everything you need, right?" I nodded.

"Excellent. But Tom," he sighed, leaning against the wall, "I know you don't need to hear this, but despite how I may have acted…I am glad you are the one marrying Cecily. I know I can trust you, and I know you'll take care of her." After a moment of my total shock, I nodded meekly.

"Thank you, sir. That's good to hear." He snorted.

"That's the thing I almost forgot. You've been calling me sir, Mr. Potter, or nothing at all. Despite what it may have seemed like in the beginning, you are family now. You can call Lily and I by are first names." He said laughingly, smacking me on the back. After watching my shocked face for a moment more, he left the room, still chuckling to help the others.

I heavily climbed the stairs to the room Cecily and I shared, and then dug out my suit, shoes and tie. I glanced out the window as I buttoned the dress shirt and chuckled as I watched the rest of the men setting up the spot where I would be getting married at shortly. I could tell it was only the Weasley's who had drunk heavily, because all the red-heads swayed as they worked, while three black heads of Harry, James and Sirius worked steadily.

As I walked past the mirror, I had to stop. You couldn't tell it had been cracked once by one of Cecily's furious punches. I stepped closer and wondered how Cecily had ever fallen in love with me. The first time she had ever realized it, according to her, I had still been trapped inside Voldemort. She had only seen the real me on the same day I had. I could still remember taking some of Eliv's clothes and suddenly seeing myself in the mirror.

_I dropped the shirt I had been holding and stared deeply into the mirror. I had only ever seen the terribly evil and twisted face of Voldemort. Cautiously, I touched my nose, and my reflection, free of evil, did as well._

_I was mesmerized by the change in skin tone, from deathly pale to tanned, the sudden appearance of dark brown curly hair on my head, the normal, strong featured face…_

"_It's who you are." Eliv said firmly inside of me. "It really is you." He added, before leaving me alone with that thought._

I blinked several times, wondering what the hell was wrong with me. With a sigh, I reached over and grabbed my suitcoat and glanced out the window again. My memory must have taken longer than I had realized, everything was set up, and guests were Apparating all over the place. Fighting down my nervousness, I took one last look in the mirror before heading downstairs and across the small field to the Wealsey's.

"Ah, the man of the day!" Fred called loudly from a knot of Order members as I approached. He looked sober now, but I wasn't sure. I was immediately surrounded with people congratulating me, patting me on the back, wishing me good luck. It seemed as if everyone was here, everyone in the Order, all the Hogwarts Professors, Weasley family, Potter family…


	75. Chapter 75

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy Five-

CECILY POV

I peeked anxiously out the window at the growing crowd, looking for Tom before Mrs. Weasley turned me around and looked me over for about the third time. After an hour of pure horror, I was in the dress. My hair was done up in a high twisting bun, the veil lengthened on my request, so it matched the length of the dress, was pinned into the delicate style. My face was almost unrecognizable to myself. My eyes sparkled with life and warmth, even though my face looked elegant and delicate over all, with barely any color added by the 'makeup wiz' Ginny.

I felt, tall, elegant and so freaking nervous. "Mrs. Weasley, please do _not_ cry yet." I said as her eyes began to tear as she took me in. She was dressed for the wedding, and Ginny and Hermione were dressed in the purple gowns, looking amazing. Mum came in, looking just as beautiful, and broke into a watery smile as she pulled me from the window, to the middle of the room.

"Are you ready? I'll get your father if you are." She said, and nodded quickly, not trusting myself to speak. She paused on her way out the door, following Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione. "Honey, you look beautiful." She said reassuringly, then disappeared. As soon as I knew they wouldn't' come back, I dashed to the window and peeked out the curtain again. Everyone was seated, and the minister was climbing up onto the stand on Mum's direction, and I could see Harry acting as ring bearer and best man shifting nervously by the shape I knew had to be Tom. Only Tom could be that tense standing still.

"Cecily?" I heard Dad ask, and turned around, he was standing in the doorway, beaming, and looking stunned at the same time.

"Hey Dad," I said meekly, then darted over and nearly killed him with my hug. He returned it, but then managed to pull away, taking me in. He blinked rapidly, but then turned to the side and offered me his arm.

"Ready, love?" He asked quickly, and I could see his eyes starting to tear, so I simply linked his arm in mine and tried to breathe as he and I Apparated to the beginning of the aisle. People gasped and turned, and then gasped some more. I ignored them all, and looked at Tom. He seemed to have deflated from his tense posture and was watching me with nothing but love written all over his face.

Dad took me up the aisle at a leisurely pace, and for that, I was grateful. Hermione and Ginny were standing proudly up at the front, on the opposite side of Harry, Fred, George, Ron and Sirius. All of them looked rather nauseous, minus Harry and Sirius, who looked flummoxed.

Dad stepped me easily up onto the platform next to Tom and smiled softly before sitting next to Mum. I smiled up at Tom, my heart melting instantly as his eyes widened. Even under the veil, I could make out every detail clearly, and his face was my main attention focus. I knew that it would always remain youthful, as would mine, yet I felt like I couldn't memorize the look of his face enough.

"Ladies and gentlemen," intoned the minister, "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls. It is on this day that Cecily Potter and Tom Riddle will be wed, and we should all remember and cherish this day as one that will stand tribute to the beauty of their love." He cleared his throat.

"Do you, Tom Marvolo, take Cecily Lynn to be your wife?" The minister asked calmly, almost in a bored fashion, and Tom took my still frail looking, bony hand in his, and squeezed it gently, making my heart jump and start up again in double time.

"I do." He said firmly, yet with all the gentleness of the Tom I knew.

"Well then. Do you, Cecily Lynn, take Tom Marvolo to be your husband?" The minister asked, and I suddenly felt like my heart was in my throat, and that I couldn't speak. Tom's eyes and his nutmeg-y scent were suddenly like firewhisky dancing through my nerves, and I gently squeezed his hand.

"I do." I said it softly, not daring to try testing my voice to a higher volume. Harry stepped up to the stand and I accepted Tom's ring from him with shaking fingers. He shot me a concerned look, but ignored it, as Tom took my ring from Harry.

I took his hand in mine, marveling at the steadiness of it, and slipped the gold band from Eliv on his finger, the ring that should have belonged to Eliv himself. Tom took my hand so gently, so tenderly, I nearly gasped. He hesitated at my pointer finger, the cursed ring on my finger sparkling innocently in the sunlight, but then slipped the ring on my delicate ring finger and seemed to deflate even more from his tense position. He took my hand and I entwined my fingers in his as Harry stepped down and the minister raised his wand. "Then I declare you bonded for life." He raised his wand high above us, and a shower of silver stars erupted and fell gently around us.

Time slowed to nearly a dead stop as Tom lifted the veil and stroked my left cheekbone as he always did before he was going to kiss me, and then leaned forward, and even in heels, I stretched onto my tip toes to hasten the kiss. His hands were gentle yet stroking on my neck as our lips met. I could barely hear the applause as smooth, firm lips traced patterns in mine, then vanished. I opened my eyes, not realizing they had closed, and for the first time, smiled with true, undying happiness into his beautiful face, then as we turned to meet the crowds of people coming, at them as Tom took my hand once more, and I at once felt complete.

"Oh Mum," I laughed as I embraced her, giving Dad a moment, considering she had been crying on him for the whole ceremony. She blubbered something unintelligible before I was swept up in a huge hug from Harry, who was positively beaming as he set me down again. "Congratulations Cecily!" He said excitedly, and I only got a chance to smile at him before I was in a equally tight hug from Sirius.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Cecily. Congratulations!" He said happily to me , and clapped Tom on the back as Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione managed to squeeze into the tiniest amount of space I had ever seen and hugged me all at once.

"You look so beautiful today, and you are so gorgeous and…" Ginny was going on and on, smiling hugely as Hermione was crying with Mrs. Weasley. After a whirlwind of more hugs and congratulations, several occasions of having to hitch up my veil, which was still trailing down my back in it's long sweeping trail, I finally made it back to Tom.

"Congratulations, love." He said sexily without even realizing it and kissed me lightly and I heard the collective 'awwws' from the crowd around us.

"Congratulations yourself." I said, and sighed as I hitched up my veil again. In seconds, Tom's nimble fingers took it out of my hair and folded it with a flick of his wand, and it zoomed back to the house of its own accord. I shivered at the sudden lack of coverage on my back and suddenly remembered that the scars would be visible now, but forgot about it as Tom pulled me out of the crowd and to the dance floor, where a slow song was playing, and I saw Harry and Ginny together, looking blissfully happy and couldn't help but smile again.

Tom placed his hands on my deeply accentuated tiny waist by the corset and I placed my arms around his neck and put my head on his chest, closing my eyes. This couldn't be real. I had suffered more than anyone should ever have to, and yet, it all worked out for me. I couldn't believe my luck. After a few minutes, I agreed to dances with Sirius, Dad, Harry, Fred, George, Albus, Slughorn, Mr. Weasley and many more that I can't even remember. I even danced with Mum for a minute before I heard a loud gasp from a rather ugly woman with flaming red hair and horribly pink skin.

"I say! What on earth is that on the girl's back!" She practically exclaimed at the top of her lungs, and I heard people quiet down and glance over, and I could instantaneously see the anger, shock or sadness rising into their faces. Hagrid, who I was dancing with, shifted his arm downward, sending angry glares at the people whispering to the people around them, leaving me nothing to hide behind. I saw Tom break away from a dance with Luna Lovegood and come over, looking angrier than I have seen him in a long time.

Hagrid stepped away without being asked, but instead of dancing with me, Tom simply hugged me fiercely, burying his face in my neck. I barely realized that I was trembling, which was probably why he was being so protective. "Aunt Muriel, how _dare_ you say something like that, you know perfectly well what they are, how _dare_ you make such a spectacle of Cecily on her wedding day, you, you bitch!" I barely heard Mrs. Weasley roaring.

"Cecily, Cecily, it's alright." Tom said angrily, holding me closer, and I realized he was hiding me, which wasn't hard to do, but he was giving me a moment to compose myself. My love for him deepened somewhere inside, but I couldn't appreciate it fully, I was angry with myself for choosing the dress. I should have known this would happen, I should have covered them up, saved my loved ones from having to remember those events on such a happy day…

"This is _not_ you're fault, Cecily." Tom said firmly, loosening his hold as I stiffened to match the tone of my thoughts. "Don't you _dare_ blame yourself for this, you hear me? I think they're beautiful, just as beautiful as you are tonight." He said fiercely, almost as loud as Muriel had shouted words that were almost the opposite of his.

"They're hideous," I said almost inaudibly, but Tom heard me and bent his knees to look right in my face.

"Cecily, everyone here thinks that you, _all_ of you is beautiful, and you know that. You've overcome torture, death, pain and starvation…ignore that," Tom struggled to keep his voice calm, "bat and show everyone how beautiful you are." He kissed my nose and I felt my heart melt. How did I ever end up so lucky?

I straightened, took a deep breath, and stopped my shaking hands, then took Tom's and continued dancing. He kept his hands and arms well around my waist, almost showing off the scars above them. I leaned into Tom, and smiled at my parents as we twirled by. Everyone had calmed down, and they were watching Tom and I dancing, huge smiles on their faces.


	76. Chapter 76

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy Six-

TOM POV

Cecily and I stood by the entrance to the tent, saying goodbye to everyone leaving. I glanced at her as she waved goodbye to Bill and Fleur. I had noticed a change in her, her thin face was full of warmth and life, and even her side profile was gorgeous. Her incredibly tiny and light body fit into her dress like a glove, and her beauty was un-ravaged by the scars on her back, that stood out strongly in contrast to her snow white skin and back.

She turned and smiled her sweet, sweet smile, taking my hand. The tent was empty, except for the family, who were watching the enchanted brooms sweeping up the trash. Sirius stood up and strode over, grinning, fishing around in his suit-coat pocket, and finally removed a tarnished silver key as he came even with us. He held out his hand, and I slowly reached out to take it, perplexed. Cecily's slender fingers easily plucked it out of my hand and looked at it, then shot a look at Sirius, who grinned wider.

"What is this for?" I asked, and Sirius laughed as Cecily flushed a delicate pink. "It's a key to Grimmalaud Place. I know I used my wand last time, but I thought you two could use the place for the night." I felt heat rise into my face as I realized what he meant.

"Oh, well, erm…thanks." I blustered finally, and he roared with laughter. Cecily quickly took my arm and waved sheepishly at her parents, who were wearing the same identical grins as we walked away. "Ready, love?" I asked, and she nodded. I instantly Apparated to the small plot in front of Grimmalaud Place, holding Cecily tight. She couldn't Apparate because she didn't have a wand, and if I were to lose her…

We approached the door, and I successfully swept her up bridal style without her noticing my intent. She gasped but then snuggled into me as I turned sideways to unlock the door. I then kicked it open and carried her inside, then backed up to close the door. The place was spotlessly clean, and as I carried Cecily up the steps, there was no sound except for my feet and our breathing. I paused on the landing. "Which room, dear?" I asked, and she glanced at all the doors, and then grinned.

"Sirius's room." She announced, so I walked over and nudged the door open. The room had been redecorated completely. Long white curtains covered the walls and the room was cleared except for the large four poster bed in the center, with black sheets and a white frame. "Classy. Sirius must have known we were coming." Cecily said as I walked over and placed her incredibly white body onto the contrasting bed. I sat beside her and after a second, she pushed me down, rested on my chest, and started to undo my bowtie.

I put my hands on her exceptionally small waist as she started to undo the buttons of my coat, then my shirt, until she was resting on bare skin. I easily reached around to the back of her dress and started to undo the corset in the back. In a second it took me to blink, we were suddenly both down to our undergarments, and Cecily was smiling a wolfish smile.

"Now, how do you want to do this?" I asked her as she reached forward. My words stopped her as she thought about it. Cecily closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and just kept going, so I let her. She didn't stop when I put my hands on her waist, her shoulders, her arms. Finally, she sat up, flushed, looking incredibly pleased.

"I did it. That wasn't so hard." She quickly undid her hair from its upright design, and it spilled around her shoulders as it was released. I kissed her lightly.

"_I_ certainly enjoyed it." I said, and she laughed, a true, happy laugh. Then she got that wicked smile on her face.

"But it wasn't as fun as before, if you know what I mean." She smirked, and suddenly I was standing upright a few feet away from the bed, and Cecily was sprawled across the whole bed, grinning.

"How did you get over it?" I asked, not moving, and she sat up, the laughter leaving her face.

"Simple. I truly accepted that we loved each other unconditionally, and that you and I would both kick his ass if he somehow came back to life." She smirked as I dug my wand out of my suit-coat.

"You're sure?" I asked, and the wicked smile came back, and she didn't say anything more, so I gently picked up one of her tiny wrists and held it up to the headboard, and muttered my spell. It hung there, suspended, and when Cecily tugged on it, it remained immobile. She didn't react as I did the same thing to her other wrist, set my wand on the floor, and lightly straddled her. Cecily frowned as I just sat there, and then sighed in an annoyed fashion.

"Now I know why you were so annoyed with me. You couldn't move things along." She tugged uselessly on the spell and I felt a smile flash across my face. Cecily was truly ok now. She giggled as I started to kiss her flat stomach, and gasped in surprise when I gave her a hickey. I memorized the sound of her laugh as I lightly tickled her stomach and ribs, and she laughed harder and squirmed as I blew a raspberry on her chest.

"Tom!" she giggled, trying to sound reprimanding as I started kissing every part of her I saw, her breasts, her collar bones, her ribs, her stomach, her belly button. Her skin was incredibly cool and soft, yet firm and unyielding to my kisses.

"Yes?" I asked, and stopped, looking her dead in the eye, nose to nose. She raised an eyebrow and I chuckled, putting my hands around her waist. She arched her back in response and her breathing hitched as pressed against her.

"I love you," she gasped finally as I gently pushed into her. I felt my heart expand at her words, making me chuckle in relief and happiness. Cecily arched again, higher this time, her curves seeming to expand as she did so.

"Tom?" she asked after a few moments of me just kissing her neck, giving her hickey's everywhere.

"Mmm?" I answered, unwilling to give up the impressive hickey I was making under her earlobe.

"My turn?" She asked, and I sat up, looking at her. She seemed riddled with held back energy and tension, just waiting to be released. I pretended to think about it, and she actually growled at me, pulling as hard as she could so that she was closer to me. "Come on, Tom. Let me go, I dare you." She insisted, her hazel eyes boring into me, full of love and anticipation.

"And what if I want to just keep you there forever? What if I'd rather watch you in all your vivacity and exquisiteness?" I asked and she groaned in annoyance. I knew she could barely resist my 'Old English Speech' as she liked to call it.

"Tom," she whispered, "don't make me do the same to you, because I will." I leaned over and kissed each wrist, each finger as they tensed with her strength, but the spell didn't break. "You've left me with no choice, Tom Marvolo Riddle." She whispered saucily into my ear. I went to respond, but before I could, I was suddenly in her position, but instead of a spell, smooth white rope bound my arms and wrists firmly to the headboard.

"How…?" I gasped finally as Cecily started making hickey's in the same places I had. Nobody would have been able to break that spell, not even her. I felt her smile by my throat and she sat up, looking incredibly satisfied.

"I read in one of the books on this," she flashed her left hand lightly, "that its power grows with time, and therefore, so do I." she full out laughed at my expression, and leaned down and picked up my wand and laid it out across her palm.

"Cecily…" I started to warn her, but it made no burn on her skin. Delighted, she twirled my wand in her fingertips, thinking. "What spell are you thinking of?" I asked, but she still didn't answer, but got that wicked grin on her face again.

"_Silencio?"_ She said, and it came out more like a question as she hesitantly pointed the wand at my chest. No marks appeared on her hand, no burns, no blood. "Did it work, did it work?!!" she asked, leaning forward.

"Of course not," I said, but no sound came out. Cecily squealed and skipped around the room, twirling my wand in her fingers. She suddenly was back, smoothing my face with her hands laughing. "Cecily," I started, but again, there was no sound.

"Shhh," she breathed by my throat, kissing patterns all down my chest, neck and face. "I can't believe it worked," she continued, and started to giggle.

"Cecily," I said, frustrated. My wand was right on my chest, lying there innocently. Cecily pushed hard, making me gasp in surprise, arching, but the ropes she had bound me with were firm, immovable. Cecily's laughter vibrated through my chest, when it suddenly stopped and she paled.

"How do I take it off?! Oh, _shit,_ what's the counter-curse?" she picked up the wand again and her hands trembled this time. I felt the blood leave my face. She had heard me use it a thousand times, but if she said the wrong thing…

"_Finite."_ I said, but of course, I was silent. I paled further as she suddenly pointed my wand at me again, looking triumphant.

"_Finite?"_ she voiced it again like a question, and then leaned forward, looking eager. "Please tell me it worked, because to untie you would be a real shame." She laughed.

"It worked." I said, and this time, it sounded throughout the room. "But Cecily—"

"Good! _Silencio."_ She said again, and my words died. She roared with laughter at the look on my face until she fell of the bed and swore quite creatively. She did not come back up again.

"Cecily? Cecily!" I shouted, annoyed. The room was dead silent. Then I heard her giggle, and then she was back at the foot of the bed, watching me.

"I think I'll keep you there, in all your vivacity and exquisiteness." She said coolly, watching me tug fruitlessly against the bonds, talking silently. I raised an eyebrow in annoyance and she smirked, then laughed out loud as I pulled harder and twisted in the rope's grasp.

"You're evil," I muttered, giving up. Cecily immediately softened and came over, crawling on top of me and curling up, using my chest as a pillow.

"_Finite." _ She murmured, and looked up at my face, looking worried as I started to laugh, until I was roaring with laughter, shaking the headboard. I couldn't believe she had folded so easily. I couldn't help but feel a rush of affection for Cecily as she propped herself up, watching me.

"I love you," I chuckled, leaning back and laughing more as Cecily hesitated and then stroked my face, starting to smile.

"You are crazy," she chuckled, leaning over and untying the white cords, that fell to the floor without a sound. I stretched, and then wrapped my arms around her as she resumed using my chest as a pillow. Silence reigned, and as she drifted off to sleep, she muttered something along the lines of 'nutmeg' and tightened her grip. I buried my face into her hair and fell asleep listening to her rhythmic breathing.

The next morning, we started our first day as husband and wife.


	77. Chapter 77

-The Graveyard, Chapter Seventy Seven-

CECILY POV

The next day, Tom made breakfast and then announced that he was taking me somewhere as a surprise. I pestered him the whole time we became presentable, but he wouldn't tell me. Finally, he surprised me by conjuring a scarf.

"What, more kinky sex, Tom?" I said sarcastically, and he shook his head, laughing.

"No, you can't see where we are going, it's a surprise." He said, and lightly tied the scarf around my eyes and sealed it with a kiss. I thought I would be able to peek, but Tom then charmed the scarf, making it impossible to see, even with my vision.

"This is ridiculous." I muttered as he led me down the steps. He laughed, and after the feeling of Apparating, I could hear lots of people and the hustle and bustle of what sounded like shops. "London, really?" I asked, but Tom only laughed and steered me through crowds, in circles it seemed, until we entered a shop.

The scarf fell away before I could ask, and I suddenly found myself in Ollivander's, and Mr. Ollivander himself was looking quite delighted at our sudden appearance. "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Riddle, it's a pleasure. Or is it Potter?" He asked as I shot a look at Tom.

"We haven't decided yet, I guess." I said, to save Tom from answering. I hadn't even thought of it until today. I wouldn't mind taking Riddle, and I'm sure Tom wouldn't mind being a Potter.

"Well, at any rate, welcome. Tom, I take it your wand is still in order? Thirteen and a half inches, yew and phoenix feather, is that correct?" Mr. Ollivander continued, nodding to Tom, who drew his wand and handed it to Ollivander, who twirled it, muttered a few things, and handed it back. "I find it interesting that this wand still works for you, Tom. You choose this wand while possessed, and yet it is even more powerful now than before. Curious…" he muttered, and then turned to me, his face suddenly lightening.

"And Cecily Potter…a pleasure, a pleasure. What can I do for you today?" He addressed Tom again. I pushed back my spike of annoyance.

"I'm going to purchase Cecily a wand." He said, and Ollivander looked confused as he glanced at me. I felt my excitement explode. I was going to get my own wand!!!

"But I thought she could not bear to touch one..." He trailed off with a raised eyebrow. I took Tom's wand from him and said: "_Auguamenti!"_ A gentle steam of water fell from it and vanished into thin air, and Mr. Ollivander burst into applause, looking thrilled.

"I see, I see…" He flicked his own wand and a measuring tape came over. "Which is your wand arm?" He asked, and I frowned.

"I'm left handed…" I said finally, and he brightened again and flicked his wand. The tape started measuring from my arm to the floor, shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, knee to armpit, then around my head of all places.

"Very petite, very tiny…hmmm…that will do." He told the measuring tape, which was measuring from my chin to the floor. It crumpled in a heap as Mr. Ollivander came over with boxes floating behind him, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Try this one, 7 and a half inches, maple and unicorn horn." He handed it to me, and feeling apprehensive, I flicked it, and nothing happened. Mr. Ollivander snatched it from my hand. "No, no, 7 and a quarter inches, yew and rather whippy, made with dragon heartstring…" No sooner had I lifted it, he snatched it once more, muttering, going back to the shelves. I glanced at Tom and he was grinning.

"It always takes this long, trust me." He said as Ollivander returned with more boxes.

"Apparently I was wrong on my first guess. I tried what I always do with customers, a wand similar to the wizard or witch. I was incorrect, here, try 10 inches, birch and holly, try it!" He said, and ignoring my look of surprise, passed me the new wand. Again, he snatched it back and brought out another. And another. The pile on the floor grew higher and higher, but it seemed to make Ollivander happier.

"Here, here now, I think this may be it. Oak and dragon heartstring, 15 inches." He passed it to me, and after a flick, he had taken it back. "Almost there…you favor longer wands Cecily Potter…ah!" He reached on the ladder to a shelf and pulled down a very old looking box. "I made this wand so long ago…maybe it will fit your fancy. Ebony and unicorn hair, 16 inches." I took the wand from him, and it felt cold in my hand, and I hesitated. "Ah! I knew it! Give it a wave, go on…" He watched me, his face shining with exhilaration as I raised the wand and gave it a twist.

Silver sparks shot from the wand, lighting the dusty air. Tom and Ollivander applauded, and as Ollivander packed up the wand, he continued his muttering, glancing at it, then at me. "Is there something wrong?" I asked, and he smiled broadly.

"Wrong? Quite the contrary. Your wand is incredibly rare, and I have to say, it is almost your spitting image, as long and as thin as it is…the ebony looks startling in your hand!" He chuckled as he handed me the box, and as he bowed us out of his shop, his smile grew wider and wider. **(Ebony is a very dark wood, pretty much black in color)**

"Thank you Tom!" I exclaimed, holding the bag tight. Tom laughed at me and Apparated, holding my arm lighter than usual. When we got back inside Grimmalaud Place, I tackled him to the floor and kissed him. I felt incredibly secure, now more than ever. I could carry a _wand._ I had always wanted one, for protection, for simplicity's sake. I was thrilled. "Tom, I can take all those classes at Hogwarts now, like Charms, _Transfiguration, _ Defense Against the Dark Arts for fun….!!" I laughed out loud, still sitting on Tom's chest. I quickly dug through the bag and took out the wand once more. It was colder in my hand this time instead of the slight coolness in Ollivanders.

"What's a easy spell?" I asked Tom, and he grinned. "_Wingardium Leviosa._ Easiest spell, first years learn it in Charms."

I lifted my wand, and then paused. "What does it do?" I asked, and Tom nodded.

"Well, that's great actually, I'm glad you asked. It makes things fly. Not people mind," he said quickly as I grinned, "that's different, but any object around here should fly for you." Tom said, still underneath me. "Oh, and you should probably stand." He added, and I smirked, rolling off of him and springing to my feet, relishing the feeling of a wand in my grasp.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!!" _I said enthusiastically, and pointed my wand at a vase on a very ugly looking stool. It wobbled, then rose smoothly into the air, and went anywhere I pointed the wand.

"You're better at this than I expected, you are amazing!" Tom said cheerfully, watching the vase zoom around the room. "I thought it would fall, no offense dear, but most wizards fail their first time." He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck, starting yet another hickey under the high collared shirt I was forced to wear today because of his hickeys.

"Oh, Tom, do you mind if we go home? I want to tell everyone!" Tom's face lit up and ran upstairs, then back down, the only clothing we had brought in a small bag. He took my arm and we quickly left the house, then Apparated just outside the protective ring outside of the Potter house. I darted as fast as I could go into the house and found it empty. I darted back outside, and Tom hadn't even had a chance to blink, I had picked him up and pelted across the field and to the Weasley's front door.

"Anyone home?" I called, and I heard lots of chairs scraping against the floor inside, and suddenly people were running out of the house, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Mum, Dad, all the Weasely's…Harry swept me up in a huge hug, and I laughed as I picked him up off the ground with the embrace I gave in return.

"Home so soon?" Dad asked as I hugged Ginny and Hermione, Tom getting a few man-hugs and slaps on the back from the guys.

"Well, I found out something that was too fantastic to wait on…so I came as soon as I found out." I beamed, went to reach in my cloak but the look on Dad's face stopped me.

"You're pregnant?" He gasped, paling. Tom roared with laughter, hands on his knees, back shaking. I joined in, and Dad looked at me like I was crazy, which made me laugh harder.

"Merlin no, no," I chuckled before reaching into my cloak after I finally stopped laughing, "remember how I told you that as I got 'older' the powers that come with the ring get stronger? Well, so did my um, blessings from the Founders….and well…" I pulled my long wand from my cloak and laid it out on my palm. For a moment, no one spoke, until Hermione screeched and hugged me harder, and then examined my wand.

"It's so _long._" Harry commented as it was passed around. I beamed, ignoring Fred as he whispered, "That's what she said!" and the smack from his mother that followed.

"What's it made of?" Sirius asked, looking thrilled as he took it from Mr. Weasley and held it up to the sun, where it looked like a long black scar across it. "It's such a dark wood…"

"Ebony and unicorn hair, sixteen inches long, believe it or not. Ollivander said it was pretty old, but I love it." I said, taking my wand back.

"Come, everyone inside, that's it…" Mrs. Weasley shooed us all back into the cozy Burrow's kitchen, and called down Hermes, Percy's owl. "I'm assuming you want to write to Dumbledore? You can continue your education and finish it my dear." She said, and I eagerly took the quill from her, and wrote on the slightly wrinkled parchment.

_Dumbledore,_

_You were aware that the rings power would grow, enhancing me and the blessings I received, right? Well, I broke a charm on accident over my honeymoon, and out of curiosity, I picked up Tom's wand, to see what else had changed. It didn't burn me, in fact, I could __**use**__ it, I tried out a few easy spells. Tom took me to Ollivanders, and I purchased a wand there, ebony and unicorn, sixteen inches. I've tried out a few basic charms, just to see if I could continue using a wand, and I can! So I figured that I could finish my education at Hogwarts and actually take Charms and classes that require a wand. If I could, that would be the best thing you could ever do for me! Please get back to me as soon as you can._

_Love,_

_Cecily_

As I rolled up the parchment, I felt my life take a new course. I was going to become a true witch. I had Tom and my family by my side. Now, I could do anything.


	78. Love is Forever

-The Graveyard, The Beginning of the End-

_It was very quiet, not a sound penetrated the suffocating silence. A mist was curling around the graves as the sun slowly started to rise. The sun sparkled against the harsh, white snow covering the ground in a velvety blanket of white. The miracle of the dawn was ignored by the only two beings in sight. Both were silent, holding hands, watching a line of graves. Both were indistinguishable, hidden in the depths of cloaks, one purple, one green. The one in purple was holding a small bouquet of white roses limply by their side in one pale, delicate hand. It was the same color as the snow, while the other was a richer, tanner color._

_The one in purple suddenly had the bouquet separated in their hands. Compared to the one in green, the being in purple seemed too fluid, too smooth to be real. Their movements were so quick and graceful as they gently placed a rose on each grave in the line. Then they stepped back and the one in green took their hand again. The sun rose further, but no light penetrated the thick cloaks. "They are not gone forever." An accented voice said softly, almost from another time._

"_It hurts just the same, Tom." said a decidedly female voice from under the purple cloak. The voice matched their movements, soft and fluid, yet with a tint of sadness and sorrow beneath. The one in green named Tom squeezed her hand. "The one's we love are never truly gone, Cecily." Tom said to her, and for a moment, they only watched the graves as if the expected the deceased to suddenly appear from the earth. Cecily's hands started to tremble, but Tom did nothing, only squeezed tighter._

"_It's only a matter of time." Cecily said, and Tom glanced at her._

"_What do you mean?" He asked, and she sighed._

"_It's only a matter of time before either I want them back, or they want to be back themselves. But I can't play that game forever. I know you feel just as much loss as I do, but I can't bear the waiting, the uncertainty. The fact that I carry their dead spirits with me all the time doesn't exactly help. I can't do it." Cecily ended in a whisper._

_Tom said nothing, but stiffened until he was too still to be humanly possible. Suddenly, a new voice joined the duo, coming from nowhere at all. "Cecily, Tom is right. The one's we love are never truly gone." A beautiful willowy voice said calmly, and Cecily sighed again, and silence reigned._

"_Am I strong enough for forever?" She asked rhetorically to the nearest grave after awhile. "Can I carry this curse until the end of time?"_

"_Yes, yes you are, Cecily. And I'll be there every step of the way." Tom said almost instantly, taking both of her hands._

"_Can you remember the last time we were all together, happy together? It was at our first wedding." She seemed to only speak to the graves, not to the man next to her, but he put an arm around her as she did so. "That was so long ago," she whispered, and Tom tightened his grip._

"_It won't be so hard the next time. We will have seen them age before. Thanks to you, they got to live the lives the deserved. Besides, everyone had their lives to live. You went to school, I got a job, Harry and Ginny married…Cecily, wait!" He called. She had shook her head and walked swiftly down the line of graves awhile, away from Tom, until she reached another stretch of graves. Cecily reached into her cloak, pulling out red roses this time. It didn't seem like she had walked, rather floated too fast for normalcy across the hard snow._

"_The red is only fitting for you all, seeing as it is your trademark. That's how I used to find you in large crowds, by your hair." She laughed softly as Tom caught up. He took the roses from her and gave a rose to each grave, 9 in all. They stood in silence once more, ignoring the chilly air that swirled around them. The sun finally came fully over the horizon and made the snow look like a faceted diamond, prisms of light reflecting onto every surface._

"_It started with a graveyard, and now it ends with one. It's ironic." Cecily said finally, glancing up and down the line of graves. Red and white roses stood out against the snow. Tom moved around to face her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "It hasn't ended, Cecily. It never will, I promise." He swore, and then took her left hand in his. Two rings sparkled in the bright sun, one on her pointer and one on her ring finger. Tom bent his head and kissed the newest looking ring, although its design seemed to be from another time. The gold one was tarnished and worn, while the one with the light blue stone seemed to glow with its own light. Tom then took Cecily's hand and led her away from the long line of graves. They made no noise as they moved through the snow, and as quickly as they had come, they vanished._

**I want to thank everyone for putting up with my first Harry Potter Fan-fiction. Your reviews helped immensely, and I'm proud of how this story turned out. I don't think I will make a sequel. Any story that drags on and on following characters lives are really rather boring, and I don't want this story to go down that road. I hope you all enjoyed it!!**

**blackorchestrafreak**


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